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The Hollow Heart
With Xavier unconscious on the ground, Moira faces the horribly changed Sunspot, who seems to have turned into a ravenous shadow intent on consuming her. She tries to reason with him, but Roberto is mad with pain and hunger for light, light he senses in Moira. He begs her to run and save herself, even while he reaches for her.
At that moment Rahne enters the lab, asking him what he's doing. Berto turns to her, entranced by her light. Moira panics and shouts at him to stay away from her child. Rahne should call the X-Men. There's no need, Rahne assures her and suddenly changes, turning into a tall, longhaired incredibly beautiful woman. She glows with brilliant light, shining it on Roberto, giving him peace. Moira and the awaking Charles wonder where this new power of hers is coming from. Roberto turns human again and Rahne comforts the frightened boy. Bobby asks for help. At that moment Sam and Dani run into the room. The scared Roberto explodes into darkness again and teleports himself and Rahne away, with Cloak's power Sam surmises.
Reluctantly Sam and Dani open their minds to Xavier's psi-probe and let him know what they've pieced together: How months ago, Bobby and Rahne were injected with the mutagenic drug that originally gave Cloak and Dagger their powers. When they became monsters as a result, Cloak and Dagger used their powers to cure them, but now apparently the serum became active again and the kids managed to strip Cloak and Dagger of their powers. Xavier recalls this event and how the kids seemed healthy afterwards. Apparently the drug's interaction with their mutant DNA matrix triggered a gradual ongoing mutation. There's no telling where their changes will end.
Roosevelt Hospital, Manhattan. Late at night Tyrone and Tandy sneak out of the hospital since Tyrone is afraid the New Mutants will return. Tandy points out that they only wanted their help. Ty answers those guys are probably no better than the mob. He'll take care of Tandy. He vows to himself he'll never lose her, he'd die first or kill.
In the Bermuda Triangle, on Magneto's island, Lee Forrester watches the sunset, dressed in a beautiful but outlandish dress. Magneto sneaks up on her and compliments her on the dress. She tells him, how she sometimes puts on the things she finds on the island and imagines herself to be the woman. She wonders what kind of lives those former inhabitants lived and thanks him for the compliment. Magneto nervously apologizes for striking her earlier. This is clearly not something he's used to. Lee is surprised and amused, thinking there's hope for him yet.
At St. Anne's at the lower East Side, Father Michael Bowen tidies up the church after the evening service with the help of his wards Leong and Nga Coy Manh. The three discuss the service and the nuns' behavior, until suddenly Roberto and Rahne appear out of nothing. Roberto desperately asks the priest for help and collapses.
Tandy and Ty are at a bus terminal and wonder what to do with their lives, now that their wish for normalcy has come true. Ty is moody and finally explains that Tandy has a life to return to - she's a rich white girl. He's from a slum. They have nothing in common anymore. They are interrupted by Slick, a pimp, who offers them a place to stay. Ty rudely tells him off. Slick shrugs. There are enough potential victims around and turns towards another couple of teenagers. Tandy tells Ty to let him be. There's nothing they can do for those kids now.
Back at St. Anne's, Roberto tells Bowen that he fears he has become a demon and cries that he consumed Peter Rasputin. Rahne, who by now starts to exhibit more characteristics of Dagger, including her circled eye, interrupts - she felt Peter's spirit in the shadow. She can save him, if Roberto turns into shadow once more. He turns into the monster, she into  a silver white wolf and enters the shadow.
Peter, lost in the shadow, is living in a nightmare scene. He's a farmer, but is surrounded only by a barren desert, when suddenly he sees Kitty Pryde before him. Kitty assures him of her love and walks towards him - flowers blooming wherever she steps. He starts walking towards her as well, when suddenly they are joined by a third - Zsaji, the alien healer, Peter lost his heart to during the Secret Wars. He momentarily forgets about Kitty, who dies and the flowers with her. He looks up and as he realizes what's happened, Zsaji too dies in his arms. Alone in the dark, Peter despairs. Did he destroy both women and himself? Are the others right and his feelings for Zsaji weren't true love at all? Was everything for nothing? Rahne finds him and tells him not to lose faith - he is a good man. She feels he is tearing himself apart with guilt, even without the shadow. Rahne manages to carry him out and finds Xavier, Rogue and the New Mutants waiting for them. Cerebro led them to the church. Xavier assures her they want to help - and both kids become human once more. Rahne races into Xavier's arms, telling him how scared she is. He reassures her, promising to make it better.
At the Bus station, Tandy tells Ty that they can't abandon the mutants. They have to help. Ty keeps on evading the issue. He wants to say yes, because being Cloak and Dagger is the one thing they have in common, but she doesn't know how horrible it is to carry the darkness within.
In the church, Illyana has tugged Peter into bed. Xavier assures her that his psiprobes revealed nothing wrong and telepathically chides Sam for his punk T-shirt he got from his girlfriend Lila, even while Rogue admires it. Roberto and Rahne in the meantime have fallen asleep too. Illyana, the demon sorceress, thinks to herself that she feel extremely uncomfortable in a house of God.
Xavier explains that Rahne's lifeforce has been amplified to an incredible degree, but he cannot isolate what happened to Roberto and wonders whether he is just a vessel for an outside entity. Dani suggest that maybe her psi-talent can help, since she interacts more with emotion. Xavier hesitates, but then tells her to join en rapport with him first, so he can monitor her progress. Dani explores Bobby's fear and the boy explodes with shadow. Rahne would be the only one to fight him, but she is asleep and therefore vulnerable to the shadow and unable to help. Only Xavier seems unaffected by the onslaught. Suddenly though, Illyana manifests her Soulsword and hits Dani with it, breaking the rapport and returning the room to normal. Rogue mutters that this shadow within and without reminds her of the demons the Dire Wraiths conjured in Dallas.
Illyana agrees, thinking to herself that those creatures could be beaten with spells. Maybe she can help her teammates the same way and teleports herself, Rahne and Roberto to Limbo, before Xavier can protest. Illyana is surrounded by a silver pentagram but faces the base - a curious mix of black and white magic. Roberto and the horrified Rahne are at different ends of the pentagram. Rahne protests, trying to change, but Illyana changes her back, telling her to stay put. As Illyana tries to exorcise the two, Rahne resists with all her will power. The spell backfires - the light and shadow powers become a part of Illyana. As the two powers are completely opposed, but equally strong, they threaten to tear her apart and Limbo with her.
She summons her sword and sees that it is half black. With all her will Illyana restores the sword and herself, resulting in her being covered in her mysterious armor from head to toe and the powers returning to Rahne and Bobby. Magik teleports them back and gets chewed out by Xavier who angrily tells her he had everything under control, until she intervened - he used his Psi link with Dani to learn everything about Bobby's condition. Dani defends her, but Charles curtly replies this was dangerous and he doesn't plan to sacrifice any of them to save the others. No, Tyrone interjects as he enters the church with Tandy, if anyone should be sacrificed it's them.


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Legion
Muir Isle: a sceptical Sharon Friedlander watches her friend, Tom Coris, press weights. It's twice the world record, he tells her exhausted as he drops the weights - nearly a thousand pounds. The Demon Bear didn't just change their features to those of Native Americans, but he fundamentally changed their bodies. Physically, they are in better shape than they ever were, maybe the pinnacle of what an ordinary human can be. Sharon is less enthusiastic. She'd rather have her old looks and life back.
Suddenly, before them stands the astral form of a young Arab man. They realize that he's a telepath, but can't understand what he is trying to tell them as he only speaks Arabic. Then, with a scream, the astral image disappears. At the same moment, an alarm goes off in David Haller's room. Tom and Sharon race there, only to find the door locked but, with his newfound strength, Tom quickly tears the door off its hinges. Inside the room, they find David, a young man in his late teens, floating over his bed. He's childishly screaming for his parents or anyone to help him, as the entire room goes wild in a telekinetic poltergeist-like tantrum. Sharon and Tom, who weren't aware that the boy possessed those powers, find themselves trapped in the room as David is telekinetically keeping them from leaving. As David's screams reach a hysteric pitch, suddenly his hands start to burn. He starts laughing madly with a girl's voice and stares viciously at his two prisoners. And the room explodes.
 next morning:
Moira MacTaggert stands outside, waiting for her visitors. Charles Xavier, accompanied by four New Mutants, brings home Moira's lover, Banshee, who had been kidnapped recently. As Moira enthusiastically greets Sean, Rahne realizes heartbroken that the woman she has come to consider as her mother doesn't seem to notice her. Disappointed, she turns away until Moira stops her and chides her half-seriously what kind of greeting that's supposed to be. She was only saving the best for last. Moira telepathically chats with Xavier, noticing that he looks troubled and sickly. She also tells him that she asked him to come, because she has had trouble with a patient.
Warlock, in the meantime, starts chirping frantically and races back to the Blackbird. Dani follows him curiously only to see the alien profusely thanking their aircraft for transporting them and promising the plane to visit, so it won't feel lonely. Incredulously, she tells Doug Ramsey about this exchange. Doug, along with Warlock, the newest member of the team, is fascinated. He cannot believe how much his life has changed since summer, when the New Mutants invited him. He can't wait to see what happens next. Doug is greeted by Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, another resident of Muir Isle. As a reaction to Doug's hearty handshake, Jamie splits into two, as his power is usually activated when he's hit. "Can't wait to see what happens, next," Dani mocks.
Moira debriefs Xavier on what happened the other night. After the explosion levelled the room, she found Tom and Sharon physically unharmed, but totally catatonic - their minds are gone. When Charles inquires after the cause, a voice announces that she is to blame. It's Gabrielle Haller, Charles' onetime lover. They greet each other and Gaby explains that her son David is Moira's patient. He's been autistic since he was ten, completely withdrawn from reality that nobody has been able to reach him. Charles is her last hope. As they watch the withdrawn David in a lab, while another Madrox dupe tries to distract him with a Teddy Bear, Charles wonders why Gaby didn't turn to him at once. He could have helped the boy the way he helped her once. He wonders what she has to hide, but refuses to pry. He promises to do his best for the boy.
In the meantime, in Snow Valley, at the prestigious Massachusetts Academy, the Hellion Empath is being summoned to his headmistress, the White Queen. To say that she is displeased with her seemingly contrite pupil would be the understatement of the year. Emma greets Manuel with a painful psi-blast and tears right into him. While she spent years preparing her pupil, Firestar, as an invaluable asset for the Hellfire Club, his self-indulgent manipulations of the girl's emotions might quite possibly have torn down everything she built. He was only trying to help, Manuel defends himself, only to have his assurances met with cold disdain: Emma doesn't buy it for one minute: She knows that he was playing head games with Firestar, Thunderbird and the X-Men. Empath has been a troublemaker from the start and an utter disappointment to her. She's had enough.
So has he Manuel hisses. Nobody talks like that to a de la Rocha. He turns his empathic powers against Emma changing her rage to love. Arrogantly self-assured, Manuel is not even surprised at the lack of resistance Emma displays as she suddenly seems to be completely besotted with him, right until she grabs his throat starting to choke him. This was an act she coolly explains, a test for both the limits of his ambition and his powers. She could kill him, but instead she will only restrict his use of his powers until he has learned his lesson. Stepping away, she warns him one final time.
Back on the Scottish mainland, in Ullapool, a small town: Douglas is playing the tourist snapping pictures of everything, while the girls have to remind Warlock to take on human form. Hungry, Warlock reaches out for one of the many seagulls and, despite Dani's protests, infects the bird with the techno-organic virus and absorbs its "lifeglow." Dani grabs Warlock's arm and chides him for pulling that stunt in public. She lets go at once - she didn't think - if he infected her... Warlock apologizes - they are his first friends. He would die rather than infect or hurt them. Rahne once more reminds him to shift back to human form, while Doug asks all of them to please relax. Calmer, Dani asks Warlock to not transmute anything before checking with her, Sam Guthrie or Professor Xavier.
Suddenly, they are addressed by an angry scraggly-looking man surrounded by several grim-faced locals. Their leader is Reverend Craig, Rahne's foster father and he is less than pleased to see his former ward again: He calls her devil's spawn and claims she does not belong among true humans. Dani rudely tells him to mind his own business, but the hurt Rahne asks her not to argue. She'd rather just leave.
Back at Muir Isle, Xavier senses that Rahne is upset, but he himself is busy: he sends his psychic self to the astral plane, but finds the paths into David's mind blocked by a PSI-wall that protects his mind from reality. He remembers how, twenty years ago, he had shattered the PSI-walls of the then-catatonic Gaby, freeing her, but in the process also forcing her to relive the horror of the concentration camp. Back then, he was so sure that he did the right thing, but a part of Gaby always hated him for that. He is no longer sure whether doing the same for his son is the right thing. Nevertheless, he presses on until the face of a young man forms in front of the wall. The boy telepathically tries to contact Xavier in Arabic, when, without warning, flames spew out of his mouth and eyes towards Xavier, hurling him back into his body and then telekinetically hurling his body along with Moira and Gaby out of the room. David laughs madly, mockingly.
Xavier concludes that there's a portion of his mind that isn't David - something alien was directing those actions. He doesn't let on how weak and unhealthy he feels and remembers that the Morlock leader, Callisto, warned him not to over-exert himself.
On a mysterious island in the Bermuda Triangle, Captain Lee Forrester is roused from her slumber by a scream. She races to Magneto's room to find him caught in a nightmare, magnetically tearing apart his room as a result. Finally, his bed is flying outside the window of the high-up room. Without hesitation, Lee jumps onto the bed and awakes Magneto. He magnetically breaks their fall at the last possible moment. She inquires about his nightmare. A time and place he thought buried he hints: death. Resurrection. Lee just saved his life, he realizes, again. They kiss.
Muir Isle:
Gaby gives the pensive Xavier a back-rub, noting how stiff his muscles are. She has done well with her life, he muses; an ambassador, but she never married... She only met two men worth of the commitment Gaby explains. The one died, the other always had other commitments. Knowing that she means him, Xavier apologizes. He shouldn't have started an affair with her back then: she was his patient and he abused her trust. Nonsense, she contradicts him. They found comfort in each other's arms, which they both desperately needed. She has no regrets. A telepath can play god, he muses and admits his fears to her. He can basically do anything to a human personality; change it however he likes. He tells himself he only uses his powers to do good, but his archrival, Magneto, uses the same words to justify his actions...
Gaby admits, in turn, that when she first realized what Xavier could do and had done she grew terrified and asked herself if he had influenced her emotions. That's one of the reasons she didn't stay in contact when he returned to the States. She couldn't get rid of the doubts. She doesn't know the answer to Charles's question and she doesn't care. She's fighting for her son's life here. He has the same powers as Charles, he's using them to hurt people and she doesn't want to see him end like Moira's mad son, Proteus. If there's a way, he'll find it, Xavier vows and asks her to tell him everything about the origins of the boy's trauma.
As Gaby begins her story, Wolfsbane sneaks out of the room she shares with the sleeping Dani. Changing to wolf-form, Rahne races across the island and enters Moira's lab. She has doubts about herself: she loves the way she perceives the world as a wolf, but she cannot forget that Reverend Craig believes she is evil because of these powers. Noticing her, Moira asks what she is doing up so late past her bedtime. Rahne stutters, not knowing what to say. Moira tells her to come to her and give her a hug. When Rahne apologizes for bothering her, Moira tells her not to be silly. She considers Rahne her daughter. She and Sean will always be her first priority. Rahne tells her she loves her, calling her "mummy" for the first time instead of "Lady Moira". Suddenly, she changes into her transitional form. She perceives something wrong. Moira alerts Charles to come over at once. Before the two women, the astral form of the Arab boy appears, trying to desperately warn them. Moira and Rahne, of course, don't understand one word. Before Charles and Gaby can reach them, the lab explodes.


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Into the Abyss
Xavier, Dani and the other Muir Isle residents find the unconscious Moira and Rahne after the lab was apparently firebombed. Physically, neither of the women is harmed, but their minds seem to be gone, similar to prior victims, Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander. Dani notices something else: Rahne is still in her transitional form: part human-part wolf, whereas, in the past, whenever she lost her consciousness, she automatically reverted to her human form. Xavier moves his astral body into the room of the peacefully slumbering David Haller. He fears that the boy with his immense psi-powers is responsible for the state of Moira and the others. He wonders how it is possible that this young boy threw him – reputedly the most powerful PSI alive – out of his mind the other day. He muses that not only does David have multiple psionic powers – telepathy, telekinesis and pyrokinesis- he also seems to evidence multiple personalities, with a different one being in charge of each power.
Dani pipes up. She has an idea. If Rahne’s body is still in her transitional form, logically the same should apply to her mind. Then maybe she can contact her via the special rapport Dani shares with higher animals. She cannot sense her now, but maybe if Xavier transported the two of them to the astral plane…? Too dangerous, is Xavier’s knee-jerk reaction, but Dani insists. He can monitor her the way he did when she probed Sunspot, she suggests
Xavier asks Gaby Haller, David’s mother, to tell him everything pertaining to her son’s condition, but Gaby claims she already told him everything. Xavier knows she is lying but doesn’t want to probe her mind. He already scarred her once that way and now she wants him to do the same for her son… A risky endeavour, even if he were in perfect health, and, Xavier admits to himself, he is far from it. But, with so many depending on him, he fears he has little choice in the matter. Studying David’s face, Dani announces that “the geek” looks a lot like Xavier. Charles coolly informs her that he sees no resemblance and the boy’s name is David.
Gaby thinks to herself how sorry she is, but when Charles broke down her mental barriers, he learned all of her thoughts, all her secrets. This is one secret she swore she’d keep to herself at any cost.
Dani tries to contact Rahne and then helplessly shouts at David to let her go – to no avail. Xavier shifts the two of them to the astral plane. Even as Dani marvels at their astral bodies - idealized representations of themselves - a wolf races towards them: Rahne, or so Dani thinks. It’s a trap, Xavier warns her – Rahne should be frozen in her transitional form, not her full wolf form and, indeed, the wolf attacks Dani and both of them start to burn, while Xavier frantically tries to pull the creature off Dani.
In the lab, the others are shocked to see that that the Professor and Dani seem to be ablaze, yet the flames don’t seem to hurt them. Suddenly, the flames reach Gabrielle and Doug as well, as they crumple to the floor. Only the frightened Warlock is spared, thanks to his alien nature.
Meanwhile, on the astral plane, Xavier holds the unconscious Dani in his arms. Suddenly, the ground beneath them vanishes and Xavier sees Douglas and Gaby’s astral selves about to be swept into the maelstrom below him. Xavier catches them in a force bubble, even while David’s psychic walls are closing in around them. Xavier lowers Dani’s limp form into the bubble and tries to contact David, explaining that he means no harm. Gabrielle remembers, as if in a dream, that she had seen Charles tearing down a wall like this in her own mind. She hated the walls but she also knew that only outside she could be hurt; and she proved to be right. Charles inadvertently “hears” Gaby’s bitter thoughts, but tries to ignore them and focus on David instead. His astral body displays huge hands, which he uses to tears down the walls. Doug slaps Dani to awake her. He’s optimistic that Xavier is going to come through. While he is in he process of tearing down the wall, Xavier tries to locate Moira and the others. He believes them to be at the base of the maelstrom and is amazed to glimpse an entire city there.
Dani tells the others that she too can sense Rahne via their rapport down at the base. She and Dr. MacTaggert are in danger.
Xavier is torn: he feels guilty about assaulting an innocent’s child’s psyche the way he wouldn’t even attack a super-villain. As the wall begins to crack, David screams in pain. Suddenly, the face of a young David forms in the wall, asking for his mother, crying to stop the pain and, suddenly, addressing Xavier as father. Charles realizes that he means him and that it is the truth. With that momentary lapse of concentration, his psychic bubble pops and the others fall. He can barely hold on to Dani, who is holding on to the others, but eventually Gaby and Doug fall and the walls begin to close. Xavier faces a dilemma: he can escape with Dani, but in his current state he doubts he can return to shatter the wall once more. Or should he risk Dani’s life alongside his own to save the others?
Three huge faces begin to form in the wall. A man telling Xavier “them’s the breaks,” the Arab boy, once more trying to warn him – in vain as he only speaks Arabic, and a punk girl who’s glad about some “new blood” to play with. The man introduces them as “Legion,” alluding to a verse from the New Testament. Besides the three heads, there is a tiny head of David, as a young child, crying for his parents. Seeing the boy suffer like this, Xavier makes his decision and enters the maelstrom with Dani.
In the real world, a panicked Warlock is joined by Jamie Madrox. Neither of them has any idea what to do, while David smiles gleefully and returns to sleep; all the better to play with his new toys.
Inside David’s mind, Xavier comes to feeling terrible. He realizes that the injuries he received recently are demanding a terrible toll on his body. If he keeps it up he’ll die. He opens his eyes to face pandemonium around him. A mix of war-torn Beirut and Paris – everything larger as seen from a child’s point of view, but at the same time surreally twisted; violence all around, the scenery is dominated by a huge black dome in the center. He wonders how long David has been like this. Could he have remained sane with this terror in his mind for years?
Xavier telepathically reaches out and finds Dani, who’s with Doug and Gaby. Somewhere else, he senses Rahne and Moira running from surreal tanks, which are chasing them. Rahne carries Moira in her arms and evades the attackers by jumping from rooftop to rooftop while the tank, which charges after them, becomes buried underneath the collapsing building. Rahne wonders if the people those monsters killed were real? Are they real? She doesn’t know and would rather nor find out, Moira replies. Xavier cannot find Sharon and Tom, though, and wonders who should be his priority: them? His students? David? Why do his choices always have to be so ambiguous, he wonders while joining Dani’s group.
 Dani suggests that she and her group rendezvous with Rahne, leaving Xavier free to find Tom and Sharon. Xavier doesn’t like the idea of splitting up, but agrees that it makes the most sense. Before leaving, he warns them that any injury or (God forbid) death on the astral pane will have the equivalent effect in reality.
Suddenly, he sees the young Arab, one of Legion’s personas. He calls out to him, but the Arab doesn’t seem to notice. Xavier is unaware that helicopters behind him are gunning for him until they fire. Fortunately, it’s only a flesh wound in his shoulder. As he lies on the ground in pain, he wonders why the Arab didn’t warn him. He must have seen the monster. Or did he do that deliberately? From David’s behavior, at least one of his personalities is hostile. Is it the Arab? Suddenly, the wall collapses falling towards Xavier. At the last moment, the debris is stopped hanging in the air. The work of a telekinetic, Xavier recognizes, as he finds himself face to face with another of David’s personas. The big man introduces himself as Jack Wayne, a swaggering macho adventurer with an infectious grin, the kind of man Xavier dreamed of being in his youth.
They are attacked again by a chopper. Jack quickly telekinetically disables the chopper without killing the crew. He tells the exhausted Xavier to take it easy. Xavier asks him about the Arab. Is he the telepathic personality? He notices Jack’s hostility and asks him why he doesn’t like the Arab. Because he’s to blame for this mess, Jack explains. There wasn’t any war or violence in Paris and David’s life until the Arab showed up. He points towards the huge black dome: there you can find what’s left of David’s essence, his true personality. The Arab is responsible for the dome and the military hardware. He keeps the boy prisoner inside and uses the weapons to keep the other psi-selves away. The kid creates reality in his head. And the telepathic Arab gives him nightmares, which the boy brings to life. Jack hopes that the Prof can change that.
Xavier asks him incredulously if Jack truly wants freedom for David, even though that may mean his own “death,” when the psi-selves are absorbed into David’s core persona. “Them’s the breaks,” Jack states and grins. Besides, they are all part of David, except for the Arab, so they won’t really be destroyed. An admirable attitude, Xavier admits, still having doubts, but he figures that whatever he does, he cannot make matters any worse. Unfortunately, though, with all the psychic static, he has lost contact with Dani’s group.
Dani’s group barely evades the fire from another killer tank and Dani sarcastically asks Doug, who was so hungry for an adventure, whether he’s enjoying himself. No, he’s scared stiff, he snaps back. At least Dani has a real power. He can only speak languages. As if on cue, the Arab boy waves at them and greets them in Arabic – so much for Doug’s “useless” talent. Gaby, however, goes ballistic at the sight of the young man. As the mutants restrain her, the boy runs away. Furious, she explains that the Arab is the murderer of David’s godfather and tried to kill David himself. Another tank attack prevents them from following the boy.
Elsewhere, Wolfsbane and Moira flee from helicopters through a bazaar. They notice, in horror, that the parents shove their children into the line of fire to use them as human shields. Nevertheless, it’s always the parents who get killed. “They say they love you, but when it’s your life or theirs, they’ll dump you every time,” an angry young voice announces. It comes from a teenage punk girl, who’s chewing on an apple and sitting on a wall next to Rahne and Moira, seemingly unimpressed by the carnage. She introduces herself as Cyndi. When Moira asks whether she can help them, Cyndi isn’t interested. She knows they are only interested in “Daveydomeboy;” they couldn’t care less about her.
Maybe they prefer things the way they are… Moira reasons that the split personas will die as well, when David body dies. Does she want that? His powers are out of control and this internal chaos may tear him apart psychically and physically or force others to take action against him. Cyndi tells Moira to watch how she talks to her, as she blows up a nearing helicopter with a gesture. She isone of those powers. The pyrotechnic firestarter who blew up Moira’s lab, they realize. Cyndi agrees and tosses her apple core at Rahne. They’d better be nice to her …
Dani, Doug and Gaby, in the meantime, are making their last stand on Eiffel Tower, chased by a group of faceless, fat monster with Prussian-style piked helmets Only a limited number of monsters can follow then up the narrow stairways. On the other hand, they are trapped and Dani cannot even use her powers against them. Without warning, the creatures combust. Rahne, Moira and Cyndi have caught up with them. Relieved, Dani and Rahne hug and the two groups compare notes. Doug is unwilling to trust Cyndi, since she torched Moira’s lab for fun. Moira rushes to her defense, pointing out that she could have killed them in the process, but chose to spare them, so she can’t be that bad.
Dani, who has had enough, demands that Gaby finally come clear and level with them and explain who the Arab is. He’s nicer than “Blondie” Cyndi pipes up. Better looking too. Gaby takes offense at Dani’s tone but has to admit the girl is right. David was the only survivor of an anti-Israeli terrorist ambush in Paris. He used his powers to kill the attacker. The young Arab was the group’s leader. Moira reasons that as a high-order PSI – in the chaos of a panic catalyst – David absorbed the psyche of the Arab while physically killing him. It’s the most reasonable explanation for all of this.
Cyndi interrupts: Jack Wayne told her that they’d die if they freed David; is that true? Moira admits that she doesn’t know. It’s been so long and the splinter personalities might have become too strong. Then, of course, there’s the Arab. He isn’t a sub-personality of David but an independent consciousness - that isn’t likely to change. Cyndi mentions that Jack Wayne has been trying to get at the dome forever – she tried to help once, but to no avail. The Arab drove them away. He and Jack really hate each other. She then turns to Doug, telling him he isn’t so bad after all. She’s obviously taken a shine to him.
Elsewhere, Xavier finds that he still cannot re-establish psych contact with the mutants. Then, he notes that the dome, which had been on even ground before, is now on top of a mountain. One of the Arab’s tricks, Jack agrees and then inquires after Xavier’s health. He looks awful. Xavier answers with a polite lie. He realizes that as his body is ailing his psychic strength here is severely limited as well. The more strength he tries to muster the more damage he does to himself; a vicious circle..
Jack breaks him out of his reverie, telling him that there’s but one sure way of doing the job and shows him a knife. He’s a healer, not a killer, Xavier replies. He admires that stance, Jack answers, but then breaks into a litany of the Arab’s deeds: how he killed Charles’ friend Dan Shomron, tried to kill David and became part of the boy’s psyche. He’s been taking his revenge ever since, Jack states. Xavier might be used to dealing with shades of grey in reality, but here, for once, things are clear-cut: ever since the Arab arrived, David’s been imprisoned in a nightmare. Charles can change that – if he has the guts. Taking the blade, Jack offered him, Xavier grimly replies “let’s go.”


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[Assistant]
Soulwar
A very weakened Charles Xavier and David Haller’s telekinetic persona, Jack Wayne, are climbing the mountain that’s leading up to the black dome that imprisons David’s self. Xavier is barely managing and finally slips, though Wayne telekinetically catches him in time. The two men take a break on a ledge. Xavier bemoans that every time they look, the mountain becomes higher and more impossible to climb. The Arab controls the mindscape, Jack explains and he isn’t just going to let them waltz in, so things are just going to get worse. Xavier admits that he doesn’t quite understand: Jack is the telekinetic, therefore he should be able to manipulate the physical aspects of this reality. He can, up to a point, Jack admits but, as a telepath, the Arab has access to David’s thoughts and they make up the rules in this place. Here, David is God and the Arab is his master.
Suddenly, voices call out to them. It’s the New Mutants, Gaby Haller, Moira MacTaggert and David’s pyrokinetic persona, Cyndi, on a ledge beneath them. As they join the men, the Mutants mention that they had reached the foot of the mountain after dark. When they woke up, though, they found themselves up here.
Suddenly, aircrafts target them, but Cyndi and Wayne quickly use their powers to get rid of them. Wayne smashes the plane against the mountain trying to harm their foe – to no avail. Instead, the falling debris threatens the mutants. As Dani sarcastically comments on Wayne’s “smart move,” Wayne shields them and tells her not to “fret, Hiawatha”. Dani takes an immediate dislike to him; he reminds her of those racist heroes in the old Westerns that shot every Indian in sight. Charitably, she tries to remind herself that he’s the Professor’s friend, so he can’t be all bad.
Xavier criticizes Jack in a more polite manner, reminding him that they are now working together as a team, so they have to pool their resources. Jack agrees, whereas Cyndi states she is bored out of her mind. Rahne asks Moira whether Jack is Xavier’s friend, because her wolfen senses tell her that he is untrustworthy. Moira wonders whether to trust Charles’ telepathy or Rahne’s senses, when a gust of wind springs up out of nowhere almost sweeping them off the ledge. The gale intensifies and to make matters worse spikes grow out of the mountain…
In “reality” on Magneto’s island in the Bermuda Triangle, Lee Forrester is doing her morning swim. Nearing the island, she notices one of its alien statues: a human couple draped worshipfully at the feet of their non-human master. Suddenly, she realizes the implications have become personal after last night. After all, Magneto has never made any secret about his beliefs that humans were inferior to “Homo Superior.” She is broken out of her reverie when a breakfast tray with a rose is levitated in front of her and Magneto joins her.
Noticing that Lee is being polite rather than cordial, he asks what’s the matter. She tells him she wants to be left alone and tries to jump into the water, but Magneto magnetically freezes her and brings her back. He wants to know the reason for her anger. Has this anything to do with the events of last night? She points out what he just did and asks whether she had any more choice last night. Taken aback, Magneto assures her that he would never use his powers to coerce or harm her. Lee doesn’t buy it and reminds him that he is the avowed enemy of humankind. Well, she is human, she shouts.
Magneto tells her that his wife, Magda, had the same look on her face. He had used his powers to save the two of them from a marauding secret police patrol. When she saw those powers, she ran from him in terror. He never saw her again, until far later he learned that she had borne his children. He begs Lee to not run from him in terror too. He can’t bear to be alone again and he is sick at heart at the realization of what he has become. His outstretched hand ignored, he finally walks away.
On the Astral Plane in David’ brain, the situation is getting more and more desperate, as, in no particular order, the heroes are running out of room. Rahne is catching a cold and Cyndi is coming on to the embarrassed Doug. Jack liberates a large flat piece of metal and uses it as a platform for the others to stand on as he levitates them all into the air away from the spikes. However, he warns Xavier that he is not strong enough to fly them to the mountaintop in that weather. That won’t be necessary, Xavier assures him and then turns to Dani, informing her that she will spearhead the attack. Dani’s unsure, her powers failed against the other beings here, after all. But, unlike her previous foes, the Arab is sentient and therefore vulnerable to her powers, Xavier points out.
The Arab boy, Jemail Karami, stands guard atop the dome, heavily armed. He knows they are coming to destroy him, but that knowledge doesn’t help, as Danielle and Xavier strike at him with their combined psychic strength. As Jemail screams in agony, the entire mindscape goes topsy-turvy reflecting his pain. Wayne finds himself unable to keep the platform steady as the mutants drop off, though Dani suspects he isn’t exactly trying hard. Surprised, the mutants find that they were only a few feet above the ground instead of miles, as they had thought. The entire mountain was an illusion. “Jemmy” faked them – particularly Wayne – out again, Cyndi smirks. Wayne seems to find it hard to hang on to his usual good mood as he warns Cyndi what happened to others who pushed their luck too far with him. Cyndi sarcastically replies that she is really afraid and Rahne silently thinks to herself that the girl should be.
As Rahne shakes herself, soaking Doug and Dani in the process, the adults discuss the dome in front of them. Xavier surmises that, like the mountain, most of the threats they faced were illusionary. Their foe has limits, it seems. What about the dome, Jack interrupts. He has tried again and again to tear into it – unsuccessfully. They may be at the front door now, but how to get inside? Doug shares his wisdom with them, proving that, indeed, everything you need to know you can learn from Star Trek. In on particular episode of the classic show, the crew tried to shoot a ship, only to find that their weapons at full power had no effect on their foe. But, actually, the phasers were working all along, but their foes were telepaths and didn’t let the crew perceive the damage. Most perceptive, Xavier agrees. They, too, are facing a telepath and the dome is a barrier only if they let it, he states and simply walks straight through the black wall as though it were air.
Blackness inside, broken by shards displaying memories and thoughts linked by energy streams into patterns of logic or emotion that even Charles does not yet comprehend. He does understand though that the clusters should be more complex in a boy of David’s age. His memories and development ended when he was traumatized. Charles muses sadly that this lost time can never be regained and rails against this unfair fate. The others, in the meantime, have followed, led by Jack, who has regained his swagger. So is this where he, Cyndi and the other psi-selves will end up, he asks.
Xavier asks them to be careful not to damage the crystals or their layout. Enough damage has already been done. Rahne, in the meantime, addresses Dani via their psi-link and tells her of her suspicions regarding Jack Wayne. Dani admits she can’t stand him either, but Rahne insists it’s more. He isn’t just unlikeable but means to do them harm. Dani argues that the professor would have seen through that with his telepathy, but then again… Could Jack be fooling him? What if Xavier’s powers aren’t working properly?
Jack rallies them. The Arab is now cornered which makes him more dangerous than ever. It’s kill or be killed, he insists. Gaby cries out in wonder as she sees a memory picture of herself, young David and a woman (possibly Moira?). She notices in wonder how much love the crystal radiates and Charles bitterly thinks to himself that the love is all for her. She never gave him the chance to be a father to David. Did she think him such a monster?
Dani wonders if Charles could help her visit her own head like this sometime. She would love to revisit memories of her dead grandfather. Sometimes it’s so hard to remember him. She urges herself to stay focused on the job or the Arab will make sure she ends up as dead as Black Eagle. Trouble is, she’s growing more and more convinced that Jack is the danger.
 Doug shakes his head in disbelief. Cyndi, grasping his arm, tells him that if you’ve seen one head you’ve seen them all and then hints that her would be lots more fun. Does he want to play there?
Rahne alerts them to some crystals, which are broken into tiny shards, splinters, which, as Douglas experiences, can slice them if they don’t pay attention. Jack explains that this is the Arab’s doing: he’s trying to destroy David’s consciousness, so he can take over. Xavier is not quite convinced anymore. This damage may have been caused by the initial trauma. What’s strange is that many of the crystal chains seem to have been repaired and that could only be accomplished by a telepath, but the only telepath present is Jemail. Why would he be trying to help David if he hates him so, instead of doing what Jack suggested: just shatter all crystals and take over the boy’s body. Something doesn’t add up. His train of thought is interrupted as Moira shouts a warning.
Out of the darkness, a more complex crystal clutter rushes towards them, with Jemail in the center. The two psychic bodies collide and crash and only Jack – protecting himself and himself alone –escapes unhurt from the onslaught. Doug tries to help Cyndi to his own surprise, while Gaby finds herself face to face with the nightmarish memories of what happened to David all those years ago: she relives the memories of that terrorist attack: how nine years ago the terrorist team crashed their apartment and murdered Daniel Shomron. The same would have happened to David had the incident not catalysed his latent psi-powers. In a split-second, he incinerated their minds, but at the same time merged with them, feeling their deaths. The trauma shattered his psyche and the terrorist leader, Jemail, was sucked into the void that used to be David’s psyche.
Egged on by Jack, the furious Gaby attacks Jemail, senselessly beating at him until Xavier grabs her arm, shouting that nobody will kill or be killed. Gaby shouts a warning as crystal shards are flying towards him. Rahne jumps at him and shoves him out of the way unharmed. Nevertheless, Charles screams in agony leaving Rahne puzzled as another wave of crystals flies towards them crashing into both of them. Nobody left but the two of them, Jack states to the unconscious Jemail, and that won’t be for long. He brandishes his knife.
Back in reality; the New York City chapter of the Hellfire Club to be more exact. Manuel de la Rocha, AKA Empath, has revenge on his mind. To that end, he has set up a meeting with a lady – a representative of the “Gladiators.” The woman asks him disdainfully whether he has a reason for this meeting; her time is too valuable to waste with boys. Empath, as usual, blusters that nobody addresses a de la Rocha in that manner. His companion is not impressed: she knows that the White Queen took away his access to his empathic powers. Manuel wants revenge, he admits, against her and against Charles Xavier. He hands her two pictures and the dossiers of Magma and Sunspot. Those are two of Xavier’s New Mutants, he explains. He offers them to the Gladiators as potential combatants. In spite of herself, the woman is intrigued and promises to pass these suggestions to her employer. Should he accept, Manuel will be suitably rewarded. Manuel clenches his fists: he only wishes he could be present to see them slaughter each other in the arena. That can be arranged, the woman hints and smiles cryptically.
Back in David’s brain, Jack is about to stab the helpless Jemail. Doug jumps at him from behind, trying to tackle him. He doesn’t even get close, as Jack telekinetically tosses him away. Doug’s act gave Dani enough time to react. She no longer believes that Jack is trying to save them and uses her powers on him, manifesting his deepest fear: it turns out to be Xavier as a loving father to David, the young child that he was. The mere sight sends Jack cringing into the shadows. Dani addresses Moira, telling her that she senses through her rapport that Rahne is badly off. The same goes for the professor, Moira states. They need to be restored to their physical bodies soon or they’ll die. That can only be accomplished by a telepath, Dani reasons and turns towards Jemail.
Gaby tries to stop her but Doug asks her to let Dani act. She knows what she’s doing. Dani wishes she had as much confidence in herself as Doug seems to have. She gently uses her power on Jemail, trying to coax him out of his slumber by drawing on his happy memories. She is successful, as Jemail awakes and accusingly shouts what have they done? Had she not attacked him, none of that would have happened. Calmer, after her explanation, they talk. He explains that he finally learned English by studying Doug’s consciousness. While Cypher’s language talent was teaching him Arabic, Jemail learned English – it just took him longer to assimilate. He continues, stating that this is a disaster. He spent years trying to separate elements from his self from David’s and then repairing the damage to David. Gaby incredulously interjects: Jemail was trying to heal her son?!
Jemail explains that he hated David, at first, for condemning him to this fate worse than death. He points at the slumbering forms of young David, Tom Corsi and Sharon Friedlander, then continues. As he regained his sense of self-identity, he found that he had inherited David’s telepathy. The first mind he read was, of course, David’s. As he learned what a gentle innocent soul David was and explored the mind of his mother and others, he became more and more enlightened. Hate could not withstand that, so he resolved to put things right and began to collect and reintegrate David’s psi-selves. Some resisted and one, in particular, proved to be dangerously hostile. Worse, it was a race against time: David’s abilities were starting to manifest in the “real world.” Jemail had to finish his work before everything slipped out of control. He was so close, but now it is too late. Jemail fears he has to assume permanent control over David’s body to prevent further harm.
Not necessarily, Dani replies. The Professor may be unconscious, but couldn’t the work be done with the help of a telekinetic to shunt the crystals into their proper places? In other words: could Jemail work in tandem with Jack? Possibly, Jemail agrees, but does Dani trust him? No more than she trusts Jemail, she replies. She hopes that their mutual hatred will keep them honest. Dani then slaps Jack awake and threatens him. With his usual cocky grin, Jack replies it’ll be his pleasure to help.
Much later, Xavier awakes to reality, greeted by Gaby, Dani and a smiling Moira. Moira tells him that he’d been unconscious for a fortnight, except for one semi psychotic episode when he started thrashing and screaming. Charles silently remembers and, worse, the reason for that. Douglas fills him in on what happened: how Dani, Jemail and Jack worked together to restore order to David’s mind and, once that was done, restored the psyches to their rightful bodies. Dani went last and the strain on her body was nearly fatal. Xavier commends Dani’s behavior and telepathically thanks her for saving his son.
Later, when he has recovered enough to walk, Xavier joins Gaby, who sits beside a playing David. Both father and son are extremely shy at this, their first meeting, as they greet each other formally, clearly at a lack for words. Suddenly, David’s manner changes and, with self-assurance, he announces, “what’s the problem already?! You’re the mind-king, Charley-boy, ain’t like you to be tongue-tied.” It is the voice and mannerisms of Jack Wayne, Xavier realizes. Wayne is replaced by the sullen voice and the mannerism of Cyndi, announcing that they are both lame and the real world is totally dull. Finally, Jemail surfaces and apologizes. Jack must have somehow arranged matters to ensure his and Cyndi’s survival. He has failed. Xavier assures him that he has nothing to be ashamed of; he did his best. Finally, David is back and father and son hug as the boy asks whether he will stay with them forever. Xavier promises he’ll never lose him.
Later, Gaby and Xavier take a stroll outside and discuss David. He’s better, Xavier states, but not cured. And he wonders if he ever will be. Does Gaby remember his mindscape? Jemail’s memories might have set the props but David “wrote the script.” Deep down inside, he’s confused and angry and feels abandoned by his parents when he needed them most. Cyndi, who is, after all, but a part of him, described it best when she claimed “They say they love you, but when it’s a choice between your lives or theirs, you get the chop every time.” They both blame themselves, but guilt doesn’t do any good. Xavier concludes. He promises Gaby to try and help, but wonders to himself, why bother. The entire universe may well be doomed, after all.
He then tells himself to shape up. If he truly believed things were that hopeless he should have killed himself and all he cared for to spare them the horror to come. But he is too stubborn to acknowledge defeat while there is yet a chance. But the odds for survival are slim, for the psychic force that felled him in David’s mind was his detecting the approach to their solar system of the Beyonder.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Meanwhile, back at the mansion…
Westchester County airport on a mid-winter morning. The passengers are treated to a rare sight, as suddenly two teenagers, dressed only in swimming suits, come flying and crashing through the wall. The young man, Cannonball, is in pursuit of some villains who have just kidnapped their teammates, Sunspot and Magma. He’s holding Magik in his arms. She’s complaining that the Professor will love hearing about the stunt they just pulled. They crash-land in the hall but, thankfully, Sam’s forcefield protects them from any harm.
Sam asks the bystanders if they have seen a red-panel truck go by. It’s a matter of life and death! One insecure passenger stutters that it’s out on the flight line. Sam runs outside, following the bus and hollers but suddenly screams in pain. He’s standing barefoot in the snow and is freezing – he never stopped to consider that he is not invulnerable when he stops blasting. He didn’t stop to consider that the bus might now be trying to run him down either, until Illyana gives a warning shout: the truck is heading for him and the plane is taxing for the runway! Sam uses his power again and charges straight through the truck, while silently chiding himself for his absentmindedness.
Sam pulls out the driver and demands to know where their friends are. The driver is playing dumb. They must be on the jet, Illyana figures. He should have thought of that right away, Sam thinks and tells Illyana to hold onto the goon, ignoring her question what he can do – the jet is already airborne, after all. He flies straight after the jet wondering what he can do. He’s never flown so high – suppose he becomes too exhausted to fly? And how can he stop the plane? “Cannonball” into it? That would probably kill his friends.
The pilot finds himself impressed by Sam’s powers, but the boy wasn’t on the “shopping list.” He waits until Sam is close enough to the afterburners and then accelerates. Flame explodes from the engines, startling Sam, shattering his concentration and he falls. Finding himself unable to re-ignite, he believes he’s done for until he falls straight into one of Illyana’s teleportation circles only to end up in Limbo where Illyana and the driver are already waiting.
The man is playing tough guy, not at all impressed by the threats of “two skinny geeks.” Illyana smirks and corrects him. They aren’t going to handle the interrogation, S’ym will. At the sight of the huge, purple demon the man’s tongue is considerably loosened and, while the demon guards him, Sam and Illyana argue about what to do next. Illyana suggest they do this on their own. The Prof. and the X-Men are away. Until they’d rallied them, Amara and Bobby could be anywhere. Their best bet is for Illyana to teleport after them to LA. and head the jet off there. Sam interjects that she cannot control her power at that kind of distance. Yes, she can, she insist stubbornly; She’s been practicing. As they exit, they leave the man to S’ym’s tender care. He cheerfully informs the gangster of what will happen to him should Illyana not come back or, worse, come back mad…
Illyana and Sam teleport to the LA airport. Illyana is ready to cheer until Sam notifies her of the date in the newspaper. She has shifted them in time as well – it’s been one week since the kidnapping! Illyana wants to try again, but Sam’s against that move. As he flies them away, Illyana apologizes. She was so sure she could do this. They can’t do anything about that. Now, they have to pick up the pieces and they need help for that. Luckily, Sam has an idea where to get some. He flies them to a lovely Malibu mansion.
Illyana admires the building and wonders, who lives there? Who does she think, Sam sighs. “Oh. Her,” Illyana realizes coolly. The door is answered by a huge bouncer, who believes them to be fans and is about to throw them out, until Sam mentions his name. Guido’s attitude changes and he tells them to make themselves comfortable. Moments later, Lila Cheney rushes at Sam and smothers him in kisses, much to Illyana’s disgust. Sam asks her to find themselves somewhere private to talk. Unaware that someone is coming up behind them, Lila teleports everybody in the room to her home: a Dyson Sphere in another solar system. The other woman makes her presence known and Lila introduces her as one of her session singers – Alison Blaire.
Later, after the others have learned that Alison is the Alison Blaire, as in the infamous mutant singer Dazzler, Sam and Illyana bring the two women up to speed on how the others were kidnapped: They’d been invited to a swim party at the local High School, which turned out to be a set-up. When they arrived, the gangsters kidnapped Amara and Roberto. They’ve learned from their prisoner that an outfit called the “Gladiators” seems to be behind it. They were hoping that Lila, with her connections in showbiz, might give them a line on who these people are and where they are based. Lila wishes she could help – she knows what it’s like to be stolen and sold – but she only just arrived in town herself. That name means nothing to her. But is does to her, Alison chimes in. She used to be one of the Gladiators and their friends are in deadly danger.
Elsewhere, one of those friends is getting increasingly frustrated. Roberto daCosta, wearing only a skimpy, gladiator armor, is in a cell and shouts that he wants to see Amara or he’ll smash their prison to rubble. Secretly, he wonders if his captors know that he is bluffing. He’s been cut off from sunlight so long he’ll have very little strength left.
Suddenly, a man smashes through the wall. It’s Sunspot’s old foe, Axe, spoiling for a rematch from the last time they fought. He hopes the boy hasn’t forgotten him, he sneers. How could anybody forget so ugly and stupid a lummox, Bobby sarcastically replies, while changing into his solar-powered form. Still fighting with his mouth, is he, Axe mocks, while easily rolling with Sunspot’s punch and then striking at him with his trademark weapon. As Axe holds him in a choke grip, a hologram of “the boss” appears before them. The man introduces himself as Alexander Flynn and welcomes Sunspot to the Gladiators. Roberto shouts that there’s no way they can force him to fight in their filthy games. Yes, they can, Flynn answers and his lovely companion will explain.
 Amara joins them, also dressed in skimpy bits of armor. She stoically explains the situation to Roberto. They are to fight in the arena. Kill or be killed for the patrons’ amusement. Flynn has some leverage. He has taken runaway children hostage. If the mutants refuse to fight, those children will be sent to the arena in their stead. For them it would be certain death. The two mutants hug. Those people are as ruthless as the slave-masters of the coliseum in her home, Nova Roma, Amara states. The New Mutants managed to escape back then, Roberto reminds her. This will be no different. Amara hopes so, but there is another problem. Flynn has given them drugs that weaken their control over the powers. The longer they use them, the wilder they will become and they’ll lose their inhibitions in the process as well. Suppose the whole thing is a bluff, Sunspot wonders. Suppose it’s not, Amara replies. Can they take such a risk? Would his hero Thomas Magnum risk the lives of children? No, Roberto admits. Of course not, Flynn interjects as his hologram appears once more. He’s a hero and heroes play by the rules. A tough life lies ahead of them, but he guarantees they will come to love it.
Back at Lila’s place, Alison tells them about her experiences with the Gladiators. She might be with them still, if the Beast and her friends at the Heartbreak Hotel hadn’t saved her, she admits. They’d thought that the Gladiators were out of business afterwards. Apparently, they were wrong. She misses that life, doesn’t she? Lila asks. Alison denies this at first but then admits that she misses the feeling of being the best. Life became so hard for her since she was outed as a mutant. Among the Gladiators, she was accepted. The camaraderie was good. She can’t forget that. The nature of human bloodsports, Lila muses. None become more precious than those beside whom you risk you life. Is she speaking from experience, Sam asks. He’s heard her songs, Lila answers. Lila then states that her record company is sure to get them tickets and asks Guido to make sure the get tickets for the next Gladiators bout.
The Bermuda Triangle; Magneto’s mysterious island:
Magneto has set himself a test: lift up a lying, giant statue up to its former upright position. Lee Forrester stands in the back worrying. He’s nowhere near recovered enough, she fears. But how can she, a human, stop him? Magneto uses all his strength, realizing, like Lee, that he’s not yet up for such a test, but he refuses to fail and as he shouts his denial the statue is lifted upright. Magneto, however, can barely stand and Lee props him up. He could have hurt himself, she chides. He thanks her and admits that he is being a poor patient. He hasn’t been so seriously hurt since childhood. He’s tired of being ill, he’s a man of action. That she stayed by his side throughout his convalescence is a gift he can never repay. Had their positions been reversed he would not have been so noble.
She’s hardly being noble, considering how poorly she treated them the other day, Lee states. But she had good cause, he replies. He imposed his will on her without thinking. He has to break that habit. Lee apologizes for hurting him. Whatever he may have done in the past, he never gave her any reason to be afraid. She doesn’t want to lose his friendship. He replies that he thought they’d moved beyond “friendship?” Why does he think she’s so scared, she admits. So is he, he replies as they kiss. But they can ace those fears and perhaps joys together.
The tender moment is abruptly broken, as an astral image of Xavier appears before them, looking in bad shape. Xavier communicates in half sentences only; the transmission is clearly a horrible strain on him. He tells Magneto that the Beyonder is on Earth. He tried to warn the X-Men, but was too weak. He only reached Magneto and Captain America. He begs Magneto to gather the others and lead the X-Men in his place. The fate of the Earth is in his hands. The transmission fades and Magneto dryly mocks Xavier’s ineffable sense of timing. Either Xavier is the bravest man or an utter fool for entrusting his loved ones to him. Lee asks about the Beyonder. What does this mean? In a word: “Armageddon,” he replies somberly and the Beyonder could perhaps be best described as God.
Los Angeles. in a rundown warehouse neighborhood. Lila and the mutants exit a limousine; they are dressed up, Dazzler is in disguise. Seeing a wall poster with the name “Nazgul” on it, Lila reminisces about the time when she opened for that band. They were the best, she claims, until their lead singer Larry “Hobbit” Hobbins was killed at West Mesa.
The Gladiators’ bouncer refuses to let them in – as they are not on his list. Illyana shoots him a filthy look and suggests he make an exception. Scared, he lets them in. They are unaware that this news is brought to a mysterious, decadent, sadistic individual, who rejoices when he hears that Dazzle has returned. He asks one of his slaves t project a holographic image of the arena, while ordering a celebratory dinner. He is even happier when he spots and recognizes Sam at Lila’s side and announces that after the fight they will join the Gladiators.
In their box, Illyana shakes her head at how pathetic those other thrill-seeking guests are. She inquires whether they have a plan and Sam admits he figured he’d handle this like Indiana Jones – make one up as they go along. Actually, though, he figures they just wait till their teammates turn up in the arena, then grab them and have Lila teleport them all away. Makes sense, Illyana silently admits. After the morning’s debacle, it’ll be a long time till she trust her own teleportation talent again.
Lila and Sam, in the meantime, notice that Alison is badly off. For her, watching the fight is like a junkie being tempted by heroin. She’s their weak link, Lila warns Sam. Alison recognizes one of the two combatants of the first fight: it’s her friend, Ivich, a hollow-cheeked warrior woman, facing Ray, a shapechanger. Ray shifts into a giant snake and eventually disarms Ivich trying to choke her. Alison can’t stand watching anymore. Dropping her disguise she jumps into the arena and dazzles Ray with a light blast. Ivich is happy to see her friend, but business first. As she prepares to kill Ray, Ali is incredulous and grabs her arm. She didn’t save Ivich so she could become a murderer, she cries. Her friend tells her that this is what the show is about, why the “rubes” pay top dollar; this is real. Anyway, the main event is coming up. Ali should wish her luck.
The “main event” is Ivich, Axe and Max (a horselike mutant) against the two kidnapped New Mutants. At first, the teenagers are unsure what to do, but then their training takes over and they fight back with a vengeance. Magma creates a mini volcano next to Ivich, while Sam Guthrie joins the fray tackling Max and wondering why Amara is being so brutal. Then, he remembers when he and Sunspot were trying to kill each other in the arena in Nova Roma because they had been drugged out of their minds. Is the same thing happening here?
Alison blasts Amara, trying to prevent her from hurting any more. The battle abruptly stops as the roof literally flies away, courtesy of the magnetic power of Magneto. Standing in the air, he tells the New Mutants that he has come at the behest of their mentor, to summon them to defend the world. They have not time to waste, so those who choose to join him should now step forward.
That’s their chance for a clean getaway, Sam tells Sunspot and Magma. But they refuse, stating that they have their reasons to stay. With that, the Gladiators – including Sunspot and Magma – steal away. Sam angrily turns towards Magneto. They might have saved them given a decent chance. Whatever is going on had better be good, he announces. He will see, Magneto ominously states.


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[Assistant]
The Singer & her Song
A shocked Cannonball, Dazzler, Kitty Pryde and Rachel Summers find themselves in Limbo, brought there by Illyana Rasputin. Shortly before, the godlike Beyonder had brought her evil side to the fore for all to see and, in her madness and pain, she teleported herself and those close to her to Limbo. The magically realm is coming apart at the seams, reflecting its mistress’s madness.
The mutants try to save themselves from the boulders coming at them. Illyana strikes at them with her magic, twisting their bodies as easily as she does the landscape until Kitty jumps at her telling her to pull herself together. Illyana summons her Soulsword: the blade is pitch-black instead of silver, the way it should be. Kitty’s understandably worried. For some unfathomable reason, the weapon can hurt her even when she’s phased. In turn, however, she gambles that, unlike anybody else, she can touch and wield it. She grabs the weapon from Illyana’s hand and is surprised to see that the blade turns silver in her hand. In addition, she’s sporting Illyana’s mysterious silver armor on her arms. Kitty has no idea how that’s possible, but makes the best of the situation. She strikes Illyana with the sword hoping this will return her to normal - which it does.
As both the realm and its mistress return to normal, the others exclaim that Kitty has cured Illyana but Kitty knows better. She may have gotten rid of the outward manifestation of evil, but the cancer that’s trying to rot her friend’s soul is still there. And now, she fears, it may have infected hers as well. She clenches her fist: first, the Beyonder took away the man she loved and now he hurt her best friend. Somehow, she vows, she’s going to make him pay.
After magically providing them with a change of clothes, Illyana teleports them back to LA, where the fight between the heroes and the Beyonder is already over. Sam calls the Avengers’ toll-free number and tells a sceptical operator what’s happened. Illyana figures though they should return to their original mission of saving Sunspot and Magma. What can the five of them do against a god, after all? Leave that to the professionals.
Based on Dazzler’ knowledge of somebody in the audience, the mutants backtrack. Rachel secretly mind-scans the patron, finds out who the ticket seller was and so on. Now, they’ll continue that line of research until they reach the source. Alison has misgivings about that course of action, though - she feels troubled about spying on people that way. Shouldn’t they involve the police? Kitty points out that that would compromise their identities and the longer all this takes the greater the risk of something happening to Sunspot and Magma. She wonders though why they refused to accompany the others when they had the chance. Obviously, the Gladiators have a hold on them, but what? She asks Ali if she has any idea, since she used to be with the Gladiators. Alison says no, but suggest she could infiltrate them to find out. Kitty politely but firmly refuses, claiming that she’s a better candidate since she’s been trained for this kind of business. Besides, why should the Gladiators trust Dazzler after she almost put them out of business the last time? Dazzler correctly surmises that Kitty doesn’t trust her either, but vows that she’ll prove herself.
Elsewhere, Sunspot fights for his life in the arena. Being careless, he gets hurt, nevertheless he manages to beat his foes as the crowd cheers. He couldn’t care less. As he walks out, he wonders what to do; should they insist he kill? Amara expects him and exclaims that he’s bleeding. He notices the gash at his side. He wasn’t aware of that. The Gladiators’ leader, Flynn, appears to them as a hologram, calling this his first badge of honor. Sunspot sarcastically replies how overjoyed he is. Flynn warns him not to get too insolent. He shouldn’t forget the children they are keeping hostage to ensure Sunspot’s and Magma’s good behaviour.
In the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the Gladiators’ mansion, the mutants angrily realize that Dazzler walked out on them. She’s sitting in cab, nearing the mansion. Rachel and Sam suggest they could bring her back. Kitty asks Ray to just mindcall her. Dazzler tells Rachel that she has to prove herself. She heard how Lila called her a junkie and the Gladiators her heroin. She has to find out if she truly is an addict and whether she’s kicked the habit. With those words, she enters the mansion ground.
Sam angrily tells Kitty that she didn’t have the right to let Ali take such a risk. Kitty replies that it is Ali’s choice. Rachel picks up an indistinct presence near her – the invisible Beyonder, watching them. She gets distracted as she realizes that her psi-contact with Ali broke when the other woman entered the building. The mansion is suddenly surrounded by a powerful psi-screen.
At that moment inside, Ali faces her former compatriots, Max and Ivich, and tells them she wants back in – she couldn’t make it outside. She’s missed them. And their life as well, she bets, Ivich states welcoming her. Max tells her they want to accept her, but she has to prove herself. He hands her a bottle, stating that this is a stronger version of the drug they gave her last time. It lowers inhibitions and intensifies her violent nature – after this they’ll have to fight to keep her out of the arena. If she wants to regain their trust, she has to drink it. Dazzler complies. Elsewhere, watching the display, the Gladiator’s mysterious backer – surrounded by servants - rejoices at how blithely a former slave once more dons her chains. These ones will never be removed…
The being orders champagne and muses that this affair is coming along wonderfully, which is almost too good to be true. A prudent individual should plan ahead for disaster. A phone call should take care of that. The individual asks to speak General Nguyen Ngoc Coy. Noticing that one of the servants is trembling, he asks if the man fears him. No, the man replies fearfully. Does he love him? Yes, the servant stammers. Then, as an expression of that love, he should die for his master. The individual toasts Alison’s image, stating that she is now his property.
Later still, Kitty, under the assumed name, Cat, is in a job interview with Max and Ivich. With forged credentials, courtesy of Lila Cheney, she’s trying to get a job as a technician. Max tests her by having her repair a module and, impressed by her skill and despite her attitude, they take her. Ivich interrupts their conversation, as Dazzler is starting her act. Standing high above the fighting Gladiators, Dazzler starts to sing and starts her lightshow, attacking and triumphing over the other combatants. Standing triumphant and cheered by the crowd, she thinks to herself that Ivich was right – this is where she belongs. The invisible Beyonder watches, stirred by the lightshow, though he does not know why.
Roberto and Amara come to after they’ve been knocked out by Dazzler’s act and Alison asks them how they are. She reminds them that she was here with Sam when he tried to rescue them. Roberto remembers: Back then, Dazzler saved Ivich and struck down Amara the same way she struck them down tonight. They can do without that kind of help. Dazzler defends herself: she couldn’t help it and, if she hadn’t acted, someone would have been killed. She asks them to trust her, but the two New Mutants are not having any of it. Dazzler loved being in the arena – she’s a fame addict. Alison denies that, but Amara points out that she can’t even convince herself. Why then should they trust her? Besides, they have to stay because Flynn s keeping children hostage.
Kitty has been eavesdropping on the conversation via a radio she cobbled together. Now that she knows Flynn’s hold over them, she intends to check whether these hostages exist or whether it is a bluff. Kitty feels lousy about Alison, though. This wouldn’t have happened had Kitty not let her walk into the lion’s den. And yet, Ali is a grown-up, she tells herself. It’s her decision. Nevertheless, she would have wished for a happier ending. She radios Sam, who tells her that Rachel and Illyana are asleep. Kitty tells him that his friends are okay, unlike Dazzler. Sam had the right idea, she’s afraid. Then, she explains her plan.
The next morning, the Gladiators are training their powers and fighting skills. Alison is about to despair. She’s tried to talk to Sunspot several times and he brushed her off every time. What should she do? She pities herself and remembers how her choice to become a singer cost her her father’s love. Now, her choice to join the Gladiators has cost her the New Mutants’ respect. Suddenly, Magma viciously hurls a lava bolt Alison’s way. Ali ducks and ends up in Sunspot’s arms. He tosses her high up in the air until a fellow Gladiator, called Lexi, catches her. Roberto would have done that himself, had nobody interjected – he only meant to frighten her – but Ali doesn’t know that. She is furious and tells the mutants that she will repay that little stunt, with interest. She rants that she only wanted to be a star. Is that a reason for people to resent her? She had figured them being mutants made them kindred souls – her mistake. From now on, she’ll look out for herself alone. The Gladiators’ mystery boss watches the display and gloats as Dazzler isolates herself from her friends.
Outside and away, Rachel is meditating, trying to locate the odd psychic presence from before. Does she figure it’s the Beyonder? Sam asks. Of course, Illyana answers, why else would she be trying so hard? When Sam inquires what he did to her, Illyana explains that this creature in Limbo was no illusion. That was Illyana. - a part of her soul is fundamentally evil and the Beyonder brought that to the surface with the same ease they would draw a breath. If not for Kitty, she would have killed them or worse.
Sam wonders why the Beyonder came to Earth. Probably he’s a bored celestial sadist, looking for some cheap thrills, his teammate replies cynically. Sam refuses to believe that. There’s got to be a better reason. Only God should have such power. Maybe that’s who he is, Illyana states. Or the devil, Sam adds. They could just as easily die fighting the Gladiators down there, Illyana points out. That’s different, Sam explains, it’s human. It’s an understandable, acceptable risk but how can you fight someone who can change all the rules on a whim?
Rachel interrupts: no sign of the presence, but Kitty’s radioed: the fight’s tonight.
In the Gladiators’ mansion, Kitty disables a junction, causing a blackout in both lights and surveillance systems. She uses that time to phase into the quarters and find Sunspot. They hug and she tells him the cavalry’s arrived. She’s checked out Flynn’s claim about the hostages: it’s a bluff. But they have a plan to put the Gladiators away for good. This night, when the match begins, Sam, Rachel and Illyana are going to raise such a ruckus that the authorities – no matter how bribed they are –will have no choice but to bust this place.
In the evening, Cannonball, Magik and Rachel move towards the Gladiators’ mansion when, suddenly, before them stands a seemingly unassuming man– however, the others recognize who he truly is: the Beyonder. Furiously, Illyana manifest her Soulsword and threatens him with it. She warns him to stand aside - he won’t catch her by surprise this time. If anything, the Beyonder is curious, rather than afraid, as he moves towards the girl.
Rachel telekinetically yanks Illyana back and tells her that they cannot hope to fight him – they’ll have to communicate. Rachel wishes to herself that Professor Xavier were here to back her up. She decides – no matter how abhorrent it is to her – to telepathically bare herself to him to show that she comes in peace. Suddenly, as she starts contact, his radiance fills her. They become one and she learns what drives the godlike being: curiosity. He wants to know what the meaning to his existence is and has sought out Earth to learn.
The others watch the two glowing and Sam worries that it becomes too much for Rachel to handle. He activates his power, grabs Illyana and tears Rachel away from the Beyonder, breaking contact between them. Rachel tells them what she saw: a light, beautiful yet terrible, like the stories about her mother Dark Phoenix. Illyana sarcastically notes that the Beyonder vanished. He’s probably looking for some new toys to play with.
Inside the Mansion, Kitty and Bobby finish discussing the plan: they’ll use the confusion the others will cause to slip away. The furious boy wants to deal with Flynn himself and Kitty urges him not to let Flynn drag him down to his level. He should wait for her signal. She’ll inform Amara and Dazzler.
Kitty enters Dazzler’s room, where Alison lies asleep on her bed. She finds Ali’s journal lying open and reads the latest entry. In it, Alison wrote that she can’t go on being a Gladiator. She wants to be a star but no at the cost of her soul. Kitty reads this and smiles. Ali faced her inner demon, the way Kitty did in Japan, and won. She may not be a star but she is a hero. Suddenly, Dazzler awakes with a start. Kitty tells her she knows how hard this decision must have been for her and comforts her that her nightmare is over. Dazzler starts to smile evilly and glows brightly, momentarily overloading Kitty’s mind. She blanks out, only to find herself gripped by strong arms from behind and a voice announces that Dazzler’s nightmare is far from over. In fact, hers and Kitty’s have only just begun. Kitty recognizes the voice. In response to her unspoken thought, the being announces she’d recognize the face as well. Kitty realizes the identity of her foe and shouts in disbelief “Impossible! It can’t be—you?!”
In the arena, Magma and Sunspot are getting increasingly nervous. Their fight is about to start. Kitty should have given them the signal by now. Despite Amara’s assurances, Sunspot fears that something has gone wrong. Suddenly, Dazzler begins to sing and a ridiculously, big-armed berserker enters the arena. Sunspot decides that they have to forget Kitty and her plan. Against this horror, it will take all their powers to simply stay alive. They’ll have to kill to survive this time.
In a private box, the leader of the Gladiators gloats that is precisely the idea. And, since their foe is actually a mind-controlled Shadowcat, locked within a robotic shell, the mysterious individual will be the ultimate victor no matter the outcome.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Saturday Night Fight
In the Gladiators’ arena, Sunspot and Magma are doing their best to survive in a desperate fight against a hulking horror, much to the glee of the audience. The show is accompanied by Dazzler’s lightshow – she’s standing on a dais in the middle of the arena, literally dazzling everyone. In a special box, attended by slaves, the Gladiator’s leader is egging both parties on to kill each other, while madly cackling that the New Mutants have no idea that their friend, Shadowcat, is stuck within the robotic shell. The individual ponders whether it wouldn’t be amusing to have Dazzler execute the victor afterwards. In addition, each member of the audience was secretly photographed as they arrived. How much will they be willing to pay to not be turned over to the authorities?
As the robot almost hits Sunspot, a telepathic voice tells him to be careful. If he dies too quickly the customers won’t get a show. Roberto wonders whether the telepath is friend or foe. He strikes at the creature – only to find that it becomes immaterial as his fist touches it. The next moment, though, it becomes solid again and hits him. Luckily, Roberto manages to roll with the impact.
Magma attacks next by opening a fissure in the ground beneath the monster. To her surprise, the creature doesn’t fall but actually walks on air. Very well, she thinks grimly and wonders how it will cope with flames. Sunspot stops her and urges her to think. They know the powers the creature displays. Mad as it seems, they are fighting Shadowcat. Perceptive brat, the mystery villain snarls to herself and complains that Kitty is proving surprisingly stubborn – still she resists. Charles Xavier taught her well. Nevertheless, the telepath is stronger. With that, the robot grabs Sunspot and brings him close to its face. Sunspot addresses it, urging Kitty to fight and not to let the Gladiators makes her a murderer. He notices that he can barely hear himself over Dazzler’s song. Then, how could Kitty? He believes he is as good as dead.
Magma doesn’t know what to do. Sacrifice one friend for another? That is precisely the point, a telepathic voice tells them. Sunspot wonders why the voice seems so familiar and then notices that the robot is hesitating. The mysterious telepath – for the first time fully seen as an immensely fat Asian woman - screams at the robot to kill. Dazzler takes up the scream, chanting to the crowd that they want blood! “Killkillkill”. Suddenly, an arm appears on the robot’s forehead and Kitty phases out of it. She tells the kids to scoot; without her to animate it the robot will go to pieces - which it does.
The crowd boos, feeling cheated. They want blood. They want them to kill the girl. Amara has had it, even in the coliseum in her home, Nova Roma, the audience wasn’t that bloodthirsty. She intends to give them a taste of her own medicine when she is attacked by a laser blast. Dazzler tells her that, among the Gladiators, only victors survive. Magma counter-attacks with a lava blast, but Alison easily evades it. Turning up her luminescence, she hypnotises Sunspot and Magma. Only Kitty, who already knows the trick, looks away in time. She’s aware that Dazzler is possessed and that the telepath is behind it. She needs something physical to fight back. She grabs one of the robots huge spikes, breaks it off and hurls it towards the box, momentarily breaking the telepath’s concentration.
In addition, the other two New Mutants and Rachel arrive at this very moment as Cannonball blasts straight into the arena. Rachel warns the others that another PSI is present and she has never felt anything so malevolent. The telepath once more possesses Dazzler and has her fire a blast at Kitty, figuring that the noble heroes won’t hurt a friend who is but a victim. Wrong, as far as Illyana is concerned. She opens a teleportation circle and has one of her demons snatch Dazzler away to Limbo. Seeing this, the Gladiators – especially Alison’s friend Ivich - go ballistic and attack the mutants. Using teamwork though - as opposed to the Gladiators, who are used to fighting each other instead of working together - the tide shifts slowly in favor of the New Mutants and X-Men.
Kitty eventually orders Magik to return Dazzler. Illyana protests – she betrayed them. Not her fault, Kitty explains, gambling that Illyana teleporting her to Limbo broke the possession. Illyana accedes but warns Kitty that, if she’s wrong, Ali goes back to Limbo forever. A clearly shaken Ali is returned and apologizes to Kitty, who tells her to save it for later. Now, could she please calm down her bozo friends before somebody gets hurt?
In the meantime, sirens are getting louder and the audience realizes that something is very wrong. They surge for the exit, as do the Gladiators. Ivich realized that she is the only one left and faces Ali, telling her she’s glad she wasn’t killed. Is she busted? She should be, Alison tells her, but who is she to judge? She tells her to leave, ignoring Ivich’s offer to accompany her. She warns her friend to find a gentler line of work… or else.
Kitty tells the others that the Gladiators were just cannon fodder. The organization won’t be fully destroyed until they nail their boss. Not Alexander Flynn, who was just a holographic illusion, but the puppet master behind him. The royal box is empty, their prey gone. Magma realizes that there must be an escape tunnel and blasts walls and floor until she finds it.
As the mutants enter the tunnel, Kitty warns the others that they are facing a telepath - somebody who possesses people. Her warning comes too late. Just as Sam states that this powers sounds just like – Bobby finds himself possessed and punches Sam in the stomach, mocking that Sam speaks more truly than he knows. Rachel telekinetically restrains Sunspot, only to find herself possessed in turn, her telepathic powers making her even more vulnerable. Rachel zaps Illyana. Kitty grimly realizes that their foe knew what she was doing. Rachel was the only one on a par with their enemy and, without Illyana, they can’t break the slave link by teleporting people to Limbo the way they did with Dazzler. Using her training to hide her thoughts, she sneaks up to Rachel from behind and knocks her out. Then, she orders Alison to glow as brightly as she can, illuminating the entire tunnel. She shouts at Cannonball to cut loose as soon as he sees his target.
The “target” - a grossly overweight Asian woman - is momentarily disoriented and Sam flies straight into her. Then he sees her face and realizes, with horror, who his foe is, refusing to believe it. The woman uses his shock and telepathically zaps him, then sarcastically asks the others why they look so shocked. Have they forgotten Karma?
Roberto is as stunned by this revelation as Sam. How can Karma be alive? Karma mockingly asks Roberto if he doesn’t believe in miracles and hints that their beloved teacher, Charles Xavier, knows the truth of what happened.
Kitty admits that she knew their foe’s identity from the moment she found herself possessed but couldn’t tell the boys. They cared too much for Karma. They wouldn’t have believed it. Kitty addresses Karma, telling her that she’s trapped and Sam hit her awfully hard. She’s no longer strong enough to possess all of them. She won’t escape. No? Karma asks. If any of them make the slightest move she will have their slaves cut their own throat. If they allow her safe departure, she will release them. Kitty has no choice and, over Sunspot’s protest, Karma flies away in her private plane, her evil laughter haunting them. The injured Sam gets up, wanting to follow, until Amara chides him that he can hardy stand, much less fly.
A little later, Amara has dug them another tunnel leading to the hills, from where they watch the police searching the mansion and coming out with one prisoner – one of the guests – Karma’s uncle, General Nguyen Ngoc Coy, a San Francisco Crime Czar.
Must run in the family, Illyana states sarcastically. Sam admonishes her: she didn’t know Shan. She has no right to mouth off about her. Roberto angrily lashes out at the next tree. Xavier lied to them! He claimed Karma was dead. Playing devil’s advocate, Kitty points out that he may have been simply wrong. The world’s most powerful telepath make a mistake? Bobby scoffs. Or he was trying to protect them Kitty offers. Amara interjects that Karma was a New Mutant. It falls to their team to put things right, to save Karma or bring her to justice.
Kitty urges them to let the X-Men handle that but the junior team is adamant. Besides, Sam points out, after the Beyonder mess, they don’t even know if the X-Men are alive. He trusts the Professor, but he isn’t well and he isn’t ready to trust Magneto yet. Kitty accedes and turns to Dazzler. She tries to comfort the other woman by telling her that wasn’t her acting tonight, that was Karma forcing her. But that doesn’t go for the other bouts, Alison states. It’s a great excuse, but it won’t wash. Kitty admits that she read her diary and what matters is that Alison faced the demons that drove her to the Gladiators and won over them. She has nothing to be ashamed of.
Rachel interrupts. She senses the X-Men’s thoughts - they are alive. They’ve heard her psi-call and are coming to pick them up. Sam asks Kitty if she is going to turn them in or let them do this. Kitty states that she is going to regret this, but someone has to cover for them with the Professor. Sam assures her they will let the X-Men know if they need help. Roberto wonders if they have a chance. Sam admits he doesn’t know, but Karma was their friend. They have to try.