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Thou Art More Near Thy Death
Braddock Manor, where in the dead of night the rain beats down. Soldiers patrol the grounds and choppers keep watch from the air. Inside, the kitchen table is covered in Chinese takeout, cups of tea and a dozen or so dolls and action figures used for strategic planning purposes. Around the table sits Pete Wisdom, along with a group of unique mutants collectively known as S.T.R.I.K.E. They are: the handsome Kevin Mulhearn a.k.a. Xanth, the white-haired Alison Double a.k.a. Albedo, the suit-wearing Tom Lennox a.k.a. Ghast and Vicki Reppion a.k.a. Rubedo who wears her bright red hair in a short bob. 'Hello! Thank you for having me, S.T.R.I.K.E. Came as fast as I could' Dr. Fazia Hussain a.k.a. Excalibur calls out as she walks towards the table with Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain. 'Fazia! Come in, please, and warm up! There's tea!' Wisdom calls out. Betsy remarks that Pete and Alison have just caught everyone up, and reveals that Morgan has captured Micromax. 'I just thought he'd blocked me after the television appearance' Betsy adds.Fazia admits that she isn't caught up, and remarks that she is incredibly honored to be back here. 'But -' she begins, to which Betsy interrupts her and informs Fazia that they were hoping to ask for her help. 'Help?' Fazia asks. Betsy puts her hand on Fazia's shoulder and reminds her that she wields Excalibur, the most sacred artifact of this land. 'It is the spirit of Britain and it responds to you and you alone' Betsy remarks. Fazia holds the sword up and asks Betsy if she thinks the people of Britain still believe in all of that while she is the one carrying it. 'I think it's a sword. A rather fine sword, but you're much more precious to this country' Betsy smiles, assuring Fazia that the sword just happens to know that, and that she is the link to this land. 'If Captain Britain needs me, I'm in' Fazia responds.Betsy thanks Fazia, before turning back to the others, and states that they were discsusing how to enter Morgan Le Fay's castle, called Mongivel. 'Oh dear' Fazia utters. Pete Wisdom suggests that it is simple, and if they get caught, then Victor von Doom wil rain hell on the continent as he works his way west to Braddock Manor. 'No pressure' he jokes. Xanth laughs and repors that Albedo has some aerial-drone footage. Albedo rolls a map out onto the table and informs her teammates that it turns out Morgan had a greenhouse set up as soon as her house landed, as most of her favorite poisons don't grow in this climate without help. Pointing to its location on the map, Albedo notes that the greenhouse is not technically part of the rest of the manor, and while it has door security, it doesn't have perimeter security, so it will be easy for them to cut their way in and lie low. She adds that Coven Akkaba is not shy about using Blightswill, as it is how she saw them controlling Micromax.Betsy listens to Albedo, then reports that she will come in from above. Betsy tells the others that Morgan uses people until they are not useful to her anymore, which is her blindspot, her Achillies' heel, and now, running off to that little villa means she is without Reuben Brousseau and most of her coven, and Doom isn't actually there, either, he's back in Latveria. Betsy adds that if the police or authorities find out, they will be jailed or worse – and if Morgan alerts Doom, then it will be as if Pete said. 'You all remember how to be secret agents, don't you?' Betsy asks.Meanwhile, inside Jamie Braddock's pocket dimension, Brian Braddock a.k.a. Captain Avalon stands over Morgan's own fury. 'Come now, Fury, old friend. You aren't regenerating that slowly, are you?' Brian asks. 'I know it took Earth's Mightiest to bring you to your knees...but the Fury I've fought always gets up again' Brian declares. The Fury struggles to get back up, and Brian notes that Rachel told him that the Fury don't know which among them was the first to meet him on Earth-237, but he doesn't care, as he is not offering a fight – he's offering mercy.The Fury spits some sort of oil at Brian's face. Brian raises his sword and reminds the Fury that it came here to threaten his wife, his daughter and his sister. 'So the only mercy for you... is a swift, merciful death!' Brian exclaims, sword gleaming above his head – but before he can bring the sword down against the Fury, Rachel Summers a.k.a. Askani appears. She tells Brian not to kill the Fury, as they need him.'Rachel? You're setting him free?' Brian asks his longtime teammate. 'No way' Rachel replies, but tells Brian that the Fury needs to live – and needs to come with her. Askani drops to the ground and picks the Fury up as Brian asks Rachel how she knows this, noting that Jamie can just let the Fury out at any time. 'He won't. I just know' Rachel adds, explaining to Brian that this is what being Askani means. She remarks that she doesn't know what is going to happen, or when, but she knows where she needs to be – for the Sacred Timeline – and she needs to bring that Fury somewhere. 'Rachel, please, if we trust Jamie again -' Brian begins, but Rachel puts her thumb on Brian's forehead and tells him that it is the Sacred Timeline, that it is not supposed to be easy. 'Maybe that's why you have to do it, Brian' Rachel suggests. A portal opens and Brian looks at it, 'Very well...but I'm coming with you' he tells Rachel, adding that Meggan will insist. 'Of course. C'mon. For the story' Rachel replies.A moment later, Brian appears back in Braddock Manor. Meggan turns and sees him, and asks him if he is all right. Brian pauses, before assuring his wife that he is fine, and was just expelling some old demons. He kisses her and informs her that they will be escorting Rachel today. 'Just like old times' Meggan remarks, before telling her husband that she will get Jamie to watch Maggie. 'You don't worry about leaving him with her?' Brian asks. 'Not for her, no' Meggan replies. Rachel rushes past them and reports that she will be ready to go right after the meeting. 'Knows where and when she has to be in the Sacred Timeline, still can't be punctual' Brian jokes.'Sorry I'm late' Rachel calls out as she sits down next to Betsy. 'That's all right, love. Vicki was just taking the liberty to walk S.TR.I.K.E. though their entrance protocol' Betsy tells her partner. Rubedo stands at the end of the table and suggests that they continue, as once they are inside, they will have to separate immediately. She tells Tom that once he is in, he will need to scan for Morgan's acolytes, as she wagers they will have some psychic cloaking up, but he is better at it. He will need to give them the locations, and then the rest of them can take the acolytes out one by one. 'We just can't let them see us' she adds, before instructing Kevin to handle Micromax, who, according to Alison, hs being kept in a rather portable fashion. Pete is instructed to stay with Alison, and tells them that they are on Morgan-watching duty, so Alison will need Pete's firepower in case things get dicey. 'If we're all clear, then... let's save Britain, shall we?' Vicki suggests. 'ROGER THAT!' everyone calls out in response.The plan is carried out as arranged: Tom telepathically locates one of Morgan's followers in the library, and reports that there are less than a dozen overall. Vicki takes out the one in the library by commanding him to go to sleep. Kevin finds Micromax who is being held prisner in a jar. He pops the jar into a satchel and tells Micromax that he is sorry, but it is a stealth mission. 'You're quieter in the jar' he adds. As Alison accompanies Pete down a corridor, she suddenly asks him if he hears anything – before they can investigate, three of the Coven Akkaba members appear before them. 'Don't worry, Witchbreed, we won't tell anyone you're here -' one of them begins. '- we want to surprise Morgan with your blood ourselves!' another exclaims. 'They're no trouble at all' Wisdom tells Alison. One of the Coven Akkaba members wields some energy, which glows around their hand. 'Fire, huh? You can summon it, but can you throw it? Comes natural to me, just like darts' Wisdom declares as he tosses his “hot knives” towards his opponent, knocking them backwards.Pete turns his attention to another of the second Akkaba member, and beckons her to come and get her witchbreed. 'Pete, have you gone mad?' Alison calls out, concerned. Pete drops to the ground and knocks the Akkaba member over, 'Maybe I have! But I'm not dying for them to use their magic against us again!' Pete replies. Pete leans down on the Akkaba member and grabs her by her wrist. In her hand is a jagged dagger. 'You wanna learn something, chap? For your next fight? This one's your knifing arm, yeah?' he asks, before he breaks her arm, 'Now it's not!' he tells her. Alison tells Pete that she is trying to quiet things psychically, so no one hears them. 'Don't let your anger trigger a world war' she exclaims. Using the other Akkaba member's dagger, Pete lunges at the third of the acolytes, and notices he wears a Blightswill ring. 'Mr Brousseau let you borrow that one?' Wisdom jokes. 'It'll neuter you, witchbreed!' the acolyte shouts. 'You know, to use that ring – you need an index finger. Bloody hurts, I bet' Wisdom states as he slices the acolyte's finger off.In the air above Morgan's castle, Betsy and Askani float under the star-covered sky. 'What in the hell is going on down there?' Betsy asks telepathically. She tells S.T.R.I.K.E. to settle whatever it is before Morgan catches on, as they need a bit more time. 'Well?' Askani asks. 'I think Pete is picking a fight' Betsy replies, and tells Rachel that she needs to hurry. Rachel reports that she is heading out now, and that it shouldn't take much time once she arrives. 'You're taking Brian and Meggan with you, yes?' Betsy enquires. 'Yep. I hate going without you' Rachel responds telepathically as she kisses Betsy's forehead. They embrace, and Betsy tells Rachel that she will be back soon, then they can go watch her awful shows with that awful dog of hers. 'Oh, don't sound like you'll miss me or something' Rachel smiles. 'Time is of the essence. Go now' Betsy responds telepathically.'Before I change my mind' Betsy calls out as Rachel flies towards a portal. Rachel turns back and waves at Betsy, before she gets a telepathic message: 'It's Vicki – I was able to keep them away from Pete and keep it quiet. Kevin's got Micromax, and we nabbed Reuben's personal Blightswill ring. But if there are more Coven acolytes there than we expected, we're going to be overwhelmed' Vicki announces. Betsy responds by informing Vicki that she is starting to pick out the acolytes thanks to Tom's mental scan, and sends the locations through to the agents of S.T.R.I.K.E., warning Vicki that it seems that a few of them are on their way to Morgan now.Indeed, a red-haired acolyte huffs as they run down a corridor, clutching two thick books – but as they round a corner, Ghast is waiting for them, and strikes her down by putting her to sleep, and suggesting she make better choices. Outside, Vicki and Xanth are scaling down one of the towers of the castle. Vicki informs Betsy that they didn't see any other mutant captives, and asks her if she does. Betsy confirms that she does not, and instructs Xanth and Vicki to get Micromax back to safety, then meet up with Fazia, because if she is discovered, she will need backup. Vicki and Xanth reach the ground, and Xanth telepathically informs Betsy that they are out, along with Micromax. 'Scott Wright's podcast can return with another five-hour episode about Dai Thomas' Xanth jokes. 'Great work. See you soon' Betsty responds.Betsy then telepathically reaches out to the Captain Britain Corps, warning them to stay alert – because if she can't stop Morgan, then there will be bombs falling on her Earth. Betsy flies towards the castle and tells the rest of S.T.R.I.K.E. that she has Morgan in her sights, and that Morgan is drawing guards to her. 'I'm going in' Betsy announces, before she bursts through a window, breaking into the castle and surprising two of Morgan's acolytes. 'You're practically children – I'll hold your minds in my hand and show you where you've gone wrong!' Betsy tells them, although the young Coven Akkaba members are able to resist her. 'How -?' the surprised Betsy gasps. The two acolytes walk towards Betsy, grinning, while boasting that the magic protects them from her witchbreed charms. 'Even you underlings have Blightswill now?!' Betsy exclaims. 'We've got her, my lady!' one of the acolytes calls out, as the two of them trap Betsy in large coils of Blightswill. 'Bastards. This won't last long!' Betsy warns them.'Now, Elizabeth, be nice to them. They're only doing their jobs' Morgan le Fay remarks as she approaches the now captive Betsy. 'Morgan' Betsy snaps. 'Aren't you ashamed? For all your talk of mutants caring about humans, you've now gone and brought on a war because you've chosen your grudges over the safety of the people of Britain' Morgan remarks, adding that she knew Betsy would. 'Any war is on your hands, Morgan. You don't have to pull the trigger and tell Doctor Doom a thing' Betsy declares, adding that she doesn't need her psychic powers – not to defeat King Arthur, and not to talk to her. 'Any moment now, my lover will have mobilized thousands of Doombots westward -' Morgan begins, to which Betsy tells her to listen to her, and points out that if Morgan was really for Britain, she won't start a war. 'Wars are not what you remember. In your day, bodies rotting in the fields were good for the soil. But the England of now has known real war' Betsy remarks.'Bombs make craters of the land. Tanks will move through your precious moors. Do you think this century could make war without irradiating the land of your precious Britain?' Betsy continues. But Morgan tells her not to be foolish, and boasts that she has never been more powerful than she is on this land. Morgan raises a hand above Betsy and energy radiates around her. 'You thought Captain Britain could be without a master – no Merlyn, no Saturnyne, just your previous Corps...and your girlfriend. Where is your Askani now, Captain Britain?' Morgan asks, noting that Askani has sworn herself to the Sacred Timeline, even if that means letting Betsy die. Betsy screams as the energy attacks her, and Morgan leans in and tells her to speak up. 'Last words' she adds. 'You promised – Furies – war – and didn't deliver – now  they're hungry for it' Betsy utters.Meanwhile, at Infuri, the land of the Everforge. 'Mutants. Begone. Morgan Le Fay reneged on our agreement, and we are not interested in your Earth's squabbles' the Forgemaster Federal announces, standing in front of Askani, Captain Avalon and Meggan. Askani then tells the Forgemaster that if he is looking for a real challenge, she thinks he will be pleased with what they have to offer. Askani then drops Morgan's Fury onto the ground before the Forgemaster, offering him as a gift. 'As warriors, I assume you want to reclaim your own casulties. At the very least, for the intelligence risk' Askani suggests. As other Furies move forward to collect Morgan's Fury, the Forgemaster states that they will destroy him for his weakness. 'What next?' the Forgemaster asks the mutants. 'You were promised a war that might not happen. But I understand you aren't exactly picky as long as there's something big and super-powered for you to hunt?' Askani smirks.Back in Morgan's castle, Morgan grabs Betsy by her face and declares that she should have ended this the first time that she came to her, before she was even Captain Britain. 'I should have forgotten your brother and made you kneel to me...or put you down like a dog' Morgan snaps, before boasting that there is no more to be done, and that Doom has already launched his forces. 'His Doombots will -' Morgan begins, before Betsy interupts her: 'Fail!' she exclaims, informing Morgan that Askani went to offer the Furies the war that they wanted. Indeed, as the Furies arrive in Latveria, where they drop down on the Doombots who launch into the air. 'Your Blightswill can suppress my psychic powers – but not the gifts of Captain Britain!' Betsy declares as she raises her Starlight Sword and uses it to break the Blightswill bonds trapping her.One of Coven Akkaba acolytes screams in fear, before Morgan orders him to kill Captain Britain. 'Or face my wrath' she threatens. Betsy responds by kicking the acolyte into the other, knocking them both over. 'The strength. The speed. The sword. Those are mine. They belong to Captain Britain via this Starlight Sword, and no counterfeit of yours will ever stand against me. This land will choose its own protectors' Captain Britain announces as she holds the Starlight Sword towards Morgan, who raises her hands. 'Now do you want to be truly connected to this land or not, Morgan Le Fay?' Captain Britain asks. 'The Britain of now' she adds. 'Y-yes. Yes. Yes, give it to me' Morgan responds, somewhat hesitantly. 'No. Give yourself over to it' Captain Britain responds as she shoves the Starlight Sword into Morgan's chest. 'Aaaah – mother -!' Morgan gasps as her head rolls back and eyes begin to glow.Outside the castle, Dr. Fazia Hussain holds her own sword, Excalibur, above her head. Xanth and Rubedo stand at her side for protection. Excalibur glows, and energy courses upwards as Fazia utters that she can feel it, and that Excalibur is alight. 'Now, Fazia!' Betsy telepathically calls out. 'Aye, aye, Captain!' Fazia responds, before she plunges the sword into the ground, causing it to glow. At that moment, Askani, Captain Avalon and Meggan arrive and fly into Morgan's castle. 'Betsy, Bets! Did it work? Are you there?' Askani calls out, while Meggan flies behind her, asking her to slow down. They find Betsy standing before Morgan, who is glowing like the land outside her castle. 'There you have it, Morgan. Britain...Excalibur forgave you and changed you. You're linked to the land again...whether you like it or not' Betsy announces. Clutching her head, Morgan utters '...I can hear the land again... so pure'.Some days later, the Braddock Academy Interest Fair is underway. Betsy maskes her way through the crowds of people while talking to Tony Stark on the phone, she tells him that she doesn't know if this is a secure line. 'Oh, you made it one? That's useful' Betsy tells him, before informing him that she is at an event, she asks him if she can call him back. Betsy confirms that she will share anything the Furies tell her about Doombot capabilities with the Avengers, before revealing that Morgan is healing, and explains that Fazia Hussain used Excalibur to link her to the land – and she thinks it will be good for both of them – the land and Morgan. 'We can hope' she adds, while in her castle, Morgan reclines on a sofa, she opens her eyes, markings glow around them. Betsy then waves to Rachel, who walks towards her with Amazing Baby and Betsy lies to Tony, telling him that she is getting another call.'You look pretty. Talking to the Avengers. Real flag-hero $#&%' Rachel remarks as Betsy puts her phone into her purse. 'Ugh. Don't' Betsy complains, before Meggan calls out to them both. Betsy and Rachel walk over to Meggan and Brian, their daughter Maggie and Brian and Betsy's brother, Jamie. Meggan remarks that she just wanted to get them all together, and doesn't care if they toast or take a picture. She adds that she is glad they haven't torn each other apart yet living here, as she loves having the family close and hopes that they can keep it that way. 'I agree!' Jamie declares, raising a champagne glass. 'Oh, do shut up' Betsy tells her older brother, before turning to her twin and asking him if he is restarting the Braddock Academy, and whether she is going to have to teach more classes. 'I don't do mornings' Betsy tells him. 'Wouldn't dream of asking' Brian responds, before asking Betsy if he can request quarterly guest lectures.Suddenly, Betsy receives a telepathic call from one of her Corps members, advising her that the Violet Swan and Elspeth Braddock have been captured on Earth-10248. 'Duty calls. The Corps needs me' Betsy tells her family. 'Ah yes – go, go! The Multiverse needs you!' Brian tells his sister. 'You understand' Betsy smiles as she and Askani take flight, the sun glowing behind them. Brian smiles at his sister and tells her that he does understand – and that he is so proud it's in her hands.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Escape From Tomorrow
Bishop leads his team, consisting of Malcolm and Randall, into battle. Sporting a huge gun, Bishop warns his teammates to be careful about the bystanders, because they’re only after the outlaw mutants of their timeline. Surrounded by lots of futuristic mutants, Randall thinks it’s time to quote something the Beast once said: “we’ve come to help these humans, not to bury them!”
Malcolm mocks Randall that it’s enough for him that they’re almost being squashed in some 20th century nightclub, and he doesn’t want to hear ancient verses from “The Wit and Wisdom of Henry McCoy.” He further explains that his mutant power to detect normal humans beings indicates this room is free of them. Randall remembers the old days, the ones that haven’t even happened yet here, that when all they had to do was flag Cerebro for back-up.
Bishop recalls those memories. He orders his team to shut up and just fight. On that instant, a mutant hits Bishop from behind. Bishop absorbs the mutant’s energy and fires it right back at him! Another mutant grabs the guy and is furious at him, shouting that he might as well have handed Bishop his weapon. The mutant leads the next attack, claiming that their only chance to defeat Bishop is with projectiles and bullets. His army starts firing their guns at the X.S.E. The leader adds that, seventy years from now, Bishop and his friends will hunt them down and slap them up in prison! He’s certain that nobody wants to go back there and be free again. Bishop runs towards the army and attacks them on his own, ordering Malcolm and Randall to get back now. They refuse and jump into the battle, telling Bishop he’s too important. An explosion takes place, causing the deaths of both Randall and Malcolm. Bishop unleashes an awful amount of energy, which takes all of the evil mutants around him.
Taking a look around him, Bishop asks the computer to re-run the program. The Danger Room does as told, and Bishop once again fights alongside simulations of Malcolm and Randall against the army of mutants.
Observing from the Danger Room’s cockpit, Storm admits she thought Bishop was over this. She wonders how many times he has been running this scenario. Forge explains Bishop ran it almost every day whenever the X-Men weren’t away on an active mission. Bishop keeps trying to find a different variable, maybe create a scenario where his two friends don’t die. Storm thought Bishop reconciled himself to being in this time area. She admits to Professor Xavier that this bothers her. Charles replies he didn’t create the Danger Room as a theatre for psychodramas, but he thinks that perhaps Bishop is trying to tell them something. He knows they’ve accepted him as an X-Man, but Bishop himself has raised a question: is he more X-Man or X.S.E.? Charles tells Forge to end the program, believing that this has gone on long enough.
Bishop becomes furious when he sees all the images fading away and demands to know why the computer is doing this. The Professor explains to Bishop that he terminated the program. He wants him to come out, as he has run this program long enough. Bishop wants to run another program, but Charles won’t let him. He orders him to come out. At first, Bishop simply stares with a look of anger, but then agrees to do as told. Once outside, he is greeted by Storm. She jokes that, for someone who once said the street was his Danger Room, he spends a lot of hours in there. She was thinking of going into the city this evening, perhaps take a show. She was wondering if Bishop would like to join her.
Bishop coldly thanks Ororo for the offer. Professor Xavier and Forge join the pair, with Charles agreeing that it might be a good idea for Bishop to go among the people. It might help him understand them better, and also learn more about this time era. Bishop thinks this is an order as well. Storm gets a bit upset, sarcastically congratulating Bishop for having a lovely way with compliments. Most men wouldn’t need an order to spend time with her. Forge agrees. Bishop realizes his error and apologizes. He would be honored to escort Ororo. Storm and Xavier leave, with Storm adding that she’ll meet Bishop in half an hour. Xavier tells Bishop to think about what show he’d like to see, as he may be able to get him some tickets.
Forge wants to leave as well, but Bishop asks him to wait for a moment, as he wants to ask a favor. He shows Forge a holographic projector from his own time era. It contains the brain patterns and memories of... a person very important to him. But it has developed something of a slitch. He knows Forge’s mutant talent deals with machines and asks if he could take a look at it. Forge takes the projector and promises to do what he can, but the projector is an advanced piece of work, and isn’t sure what good he can do. The two walk away together and Forge asks whose brain patterns are in the projector. Bishop reveals it’s his sister... Shard.
Meanwhile at New York City, Central Park...
Bantam quickly bounces over some rocks and curses Bishop, as he never thought he would need him, or anyone else from the XSE. But Fitzroy is gone, and now he’s stranded there. And Fitzroy was Bantam’s only protection from Mountjoy! Every time Bantam thinks he lost the creep, he shows up again.
Suddenly, someone wearing a trench coat shows up before Bantam and mocks they’re having such fun. It’s Mountjoy! Mountjoy notices that Bantam has developed a nasty stammer, believing they must do something about that. And he knows just the thing. Mountjoy states that Bantam led him a merry chase these past few months, and he appreciates that, but now it’s over. It’s nothing personal, but Bantam is the only one who knows he’s alive in this era. And it’s better for him if nobody else knows. Mountjoy points his hand towards Bantam’s face, ready to kill him.
Suddenly, street punks appear behind the two and want to kill them. Mountjoy is thrilled to find some humans. His pupils disappear from his eyes. He throws a knife into one of the kids and starts fighting them, though gracefully. The children aren’t much of a match for the powerful villain, who hopes they will make it interesting for him somehow. In short order, most of the punks are dead and Mountjoy is now bored. One of the punks manages to escape, which Mountjoy quickly notices. He runs after the punk, grabs him, and says that Bantam has already done that. And now, he needs a “proxy” to ride, so he can sneak up on the little pig.
Mountjoy pushes the kid on the ground and laughs. He places his hand on the kid’s face, and flows inside his body, taking it completely over! Mountjoy gets up, and can’t believe the name of the kid he just took over really is Eustace. He discovers that Eustace is a disgusting mount, but he’ll serve. He looks around and sees that Bantam has run off again, and wonders what direction he went.
Downtown...
A desperate Bantam is on the phone, begging to have Bishop talk to him, as it’s a matter of life and death. But, Bishop is not there.
Xavier’s...
Jubilee, while eating an apple, is on the other end of the phone. She explains to Bantam that Bishop is in the city somewhere and offers her help instead. However, upon hearing Bishop’s whereabouts, Bantam immediately hangs up. Forge enters the room and asks Jubilee if she really thinks it’s wise to tell a mystery person where Bishop is. Jubilee doesn’t care, as it’s a big city, and what are the chances of the guy finding Bishop at the play, as there are also hundreds of them. Forge corrects that the Theatre District isn’t that large, and the play Storm and Bishop went to see is “Cats,” which should be somewhere in its middle by now. Jubilee realizes she may have made a mistake, and jokingly says, “Oops.”
The Theatre District...
Storm and Bishop leave the theatre and she asks him if he enjoyed it. Bishop jokes that the play was... instructive. Storm asks Bishop what’s going on. She knows he has acclimated himself to this time and to being an X-Man. So she doesn’t understand why he appears to be so disoriented, as she thought that was all behind him. Bishop confesses that he had... dreams. And questions. And doubts. He knows Shard always said he questioned things too much and, sometimes, he misses the X-Men of legend that he grew up believing in. Storm laughs, remembering how hard it was to convince Bishop he really was dealing with the X-Men when they first met. Bishop recalls that, as it was so difficult that he almost killed them all, Storm included.
Still, he wonders sometimes if there is a purpose to his being there. He wonders if he can prevent what he knows to be history, and forestall the betrayal from within that’s coming. He wonders if he can prevent the X-Men’s deaths. On that moment, someone from in an alley interrupts the two, telling Bishop he can help prevent his death. Bishop looks into the alley and recognizes... Bantam! Storm leaves the two alone and promises to stand guard. Bantam gives up and begs Bishop to protect him, as Mountjoy is out to kill him.
Bishop thinks that’s impossible. He believes Mountjoy can’t be there, as he had an exact count of all the mutants who came through Fitzroy’s time portal. And he knows Bantam is the only one left. Bantam corrects Bishop that he’s wrong, as Mountjoy begged him to take him along. Mountjoy rode through the portal alongside Bantam.
Unbeknownst to the three, Mountjoy is hiding not far behind them, and eavesdrops on the conversation.
Storm asks Bishop who this “Mountjoy” is. Bishop reveals that Mountjoy is an outlaw mutant from his time era. He’s a nasty piece of work, whom even his own cellmates steered clear of. Mountjoy was what people in Bishop’s timeline called a merger. Mountjoy was trained by the Emplates. He can manifest power in two ways. He can merge his body into another’s, becoming what Bishop calls a silent partner. The person Mountjoy takes over is still conscious but it’s his will that dominates. The body remains the same as well but usually Fitzroy’s features will dominate it. A hostile takeover is far worse. That’s when Mountjoy absorbs his victim into himself. Everything of that victim – powers, memories, perhaps the very soul, becomes a part of him and, unless he is forced to divest the victim, he or she will soon cease to be!
In the alley, Mountjoy abandons his “human host” and reverts back to his normal form, continuing to eavesdrop on what Bishop says about him.
When Bishop demands to know why Mountjoy would kill him, Bantam says that’s because he’s the only one who knows Mountjoy is there. Mountjoy figures, if he’s dead, he can’t tell anyone else and won’t have any interferences with his “pleasures.” When Fitzroy was alive, Bantam was safe, because Mountjoy would never risk a confrontation unless he had to. But now, Fitzroy is dead. Bishop thinks that Bantam figured that, if he would fight and stop Mountjoy, he’d be off the hook. Bantam agrees, as that’s what Bishop does. Bantam tells Bishop that he’s build for fighting while he’s not. He mentions that the girl at the mansion told him Bishop would be at a play so he’d track him down until he had found him.
Behind the two, Mountjoy sneaks up to Storm and takes over her body! Bishop hears it and wonders what’s going on. Mountjoy, this time in his own form, reveals that Ororo is part of him now and gloats that they’re going to be very happy together. Bishop starts fighting Mountjoy and demands he lets her go, but Mountjoy uses one of Storm’s wind powers to blow Bishop away from him. Mountjoy explains he gained Storm’s powers when he absorbed her, and he can also tap into her memories on how to use them! He thinks Bishop forgot that, and attacks him with a lightning bolt. Bishop corrects it’s Mountjoy with the faulty memory, as he just absorbed the bolt and now strikes it right back at his enemy.
Mountjoy doesn’t care, as he knows Storm’s power can allows him to fly and, if he’s not grounded, then the lightning does no harm to him. Mountjoy flies up, but Bishop mentions the energy blast was just a distraction. He throws some hailstones at Mountjoy and he falls back down, with his face injured. Bishop attacks Mountjoy again and demands that he let Storm go. Mountjoy answers the attack by throwing a hurricane at Bishop, which hurls him away once more. Mountjoy flies towards Bishop, admitting he knows the hurricane probably had some kinetic energies he could probably use against him – but he has an answer for that. Mountjoy takes out a rifle, and sees that Bishop isn’t wearing any body armor, meaning he can be hurt just like anyone else. He fires some arrows at Bishop’s body, al of which hit him!
Bishop tries to protect himself with his arms, causing the arrows to go inside it and not his face. Mountjoy congratulates him on the nice defense move, as he was really aiming at one of Bishop’s eyes. He punches Bishop down, planning on using a knife next to finish the job. Bishop thinks that’s a bad move and quickly grabs Mountjoy’s arm. He tries to startle Bishop by taking on Storm’s face, but Bishop knows the truth. That, however, didn’t startle Bishop as planned... it angered him! He slams Mountjoy against a wall and wants him to release her, or else he’ll break his arm. Mountjoy doesn’t think Bishop would do that, as that means he’d also hurt his teammate, but Bishop claims he really would, and again punches Mountjoy.
Mountjoy agrees and releases Storm from his body, not thinking she’s worth the effort of retaining her any longer. Mountjoy gets up, and sees that his arrows have taken a toll on Bishop, as he is starting to faint. He points a knife against Bishop’s throat, wanting to slice him, but then gets hit by one of Storm’s lightning bolts. Mountjoy runs away, with both he and Storm declaring that they owe each other one, but he is glad that at least Bishop is already paid for. A bit injured, Storm crawls her way over to Bishop, who has fainted and also started losing some blood...


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[Assistant]
One Man Posse
Bishop stands in front of a destroyed building, but can’t remember what happened, or how he got there. The last thing Bishop remembers is fighting Mountjoy, and now he’s in a place that looks like the mansion. But what’s going on with all the smoke hanging around? An explosion takes place in the room next to him, and Bishop wonders if they are under attack. He runs to check it out, only to find the other X-Men... killed! How could this have happened?!?
He hears someone running in the hallways. It’s Jean Grey! Jean says it’s their own fault, and that they never should have trusted him. On that moment, she gets shot as well! Bishop calls out to the murderer and wants to see who it is. A man steps out of the shadows, but... this can’t be... it’s Bishop himself?! The evil “Bishop” confirms it was he who killed the X-Men and, now, he’s going to kill the real Bishop, calling him an imposter. The real Bishop screams.
Reality...
Bishop wakes up in the infirmary of the school, lying in a bed. Next to him sits... SHARD?! Shard asks Bishop what’s wrong, and if he had a nightmare. Bishop isn’t sure, as he thinks he’s still having one right now. Forge and the Professor enter the room. Forge says hello to his friends, explaining he didn’t only fixed the holographic projector, he also improved it. Shard will be totally interactive now. She’s not real, but she’s as close as a hologram can be. Forge thought it would be nice for Bishop to see a friendly face when he woke up.
Xavier notices how weird Bishop looks at him and asks if he’s alright. Bishop admits that, in his dream, he found Xavier dead. Xavier asks Bishop if he would like to talk about it, but he refuses. Xavier promises that, should Bishop ever want to talk about it, he’ll be there. When he asks if Bishop remembers anything from last night, Bishop explains that he and Storm were under attack from a renegade mutant of his own timeline. A mutant called... Mountjoy. Mountjoy absorbed Storm and he was shot, and Bishop wants to know if Ororo is okay. Xavier claims she will be with just a little rest but, right now, he wants to know more about this “Mountjoy” person.
Bishop reveals that Mountjoy is a killer. Mountjoy’s talent enables him to merge bodies with others. When he enters another’s body, he takes it over and “rides” it, having complete command over it. He also uses a basilisk field, slowing the reaction time of his victims within a five-yard radius where he exerts his will. A “hostile takeover” is when Mountjoy merges another body into his own. Then, unless forced to “divest” his victim, Mountjoy will absorb him, devouring his body and soul. Shard tells Bishop he should have killed Mountjoy when he had the chance. Xavier reminds Shard that Mountjoy was merged with Storm during the battle, and asks her if she thinks Bishop should have killed her as well. Shard believes that others are going to die now... maybe a lot more. She still believes Bishop should have gone for the trade-off and killed Mountjoy when he had a clear shot.
Xavier states that the X-Men don’t kill, and Bishop is an X-Man now. Shard corrects that Bishop is also a member of the XSE before he was anything else. And he has killed in the line of duty when he had to. Shard tells Xavier (assuming he is the legendary Professor Xavier, which she doubts), she’s heard all about him and his dream. She’s not impressed by it and never was. After all, it was the dream that got all the X-Men killed. Xavier in turn doesn’t accept Shard’s past as his future. He has seen too many conflicting futures to accept only one as inevitable. It may very well be that both Shard and Bishop aren’t from this timeline’s future, but from just a possible alternate one. But even if Shard were certain her future would be the real one, he wouldn’t do anything to alter it. Bishop hears the two talking while he’s dressing himself, but doesn’t say anything about it.
The Professor continues to say that the X-Men Shard knows, by their deaths, became legends and those legends became myths that changed the entire landscape of human-mutant relations. He believes the power of the dream became greater with those deaths. They did not invalidate the dream; they made it inevitable. Bishop, fully dressed, finally speaks his mind. Bishop confirms that Xavier’s dream fueled his own dreams but, for now, Bishop believes he must put those dreams aside. He has to go after Mountjoy.
Forge explains that’s a bad idea. He tells Bishop he lost some blood in that last battle and that poison may be lingering in his bloodstream. He doesn’t think Bishop should even be up. Bishop knows Mountjoy won’t abate his activities until he feels better. He will act, and so must Bishop. He apologizes to Xavier, but Shard is right- he was X.S.E. before he was an X-Man. He exits the room, saying that Mountjoy can’t be allowed to prey in this time. He has to put a finish to him. And if that means he cannot remain an X-Man, although it hurts him deeply, he will resign immediately.
Once Bishop is gone, Forge believes Bishop is a dangerous man to have acting as a loose cannon. He suggests they scramble an X-Men team to bring him back. Xavier denies that. He thinks Bishop’s choices should be his own, and not theirs. At stake here is the very soul of an X-Man!
New York City, the Village...
Mountjoy is in Miss Folsom’s house, and quietly looks around it. She apologizes for the mess, as she hadn’t had the time to clean it up yet, but he doesn’t care about that. Miss Folsom tells Mountjoy he can call her Annette, and flirts with him, asking if they are going to be friends. Mountjoy takes the hint and flirts back, claiming they are going to be much more than friends. They share a kiss, but then Mountjoy absorbs her! Mountjoy continues to explore the house and thinks it will make a nice playground for him. He’s glad that nobody is aware of his presence, except for Bantam and Bishop. He wonders what to do about them. Annette struggles to get out of Mountjoy’s body, but he pushes her right back in, loving it when they struggle. Mountjoy again thinks about Bishop, hating a physical confrontation, but he realizes Bishop is going to want to have one.
Elsewhere on the roads...
Bishop, driving a motorcycle, is unexpectedly accompanied by Shard. She asks Bishop where he got the bike. Standing on his shoulder, Bishop wonders who switched her on, telling Shard she can’t ride like that. Shard claims she can because she is a hologram, and cybernetically linked to Bishop’s brainwaves now. He was thinking of her and now, here she is. She repeats her question. Bishop mentions the bike was a gift from Forge and Wolverine. He tells her to sit normally, as she’s attracting attention, as he can see other drivers staring at them.
Reluctantly, Shard goes to sit behind Bishop, and asks where he expects to find Mountjoy as it’s a big city. Bishop admits he has a plan, and it involves her. Shard mopes that she usually hates Bishop’s plans. Bishop explains Mountjoy must have had a “ride” when he sneaked up on him and Storm before, and couldn’t have just missed him, as he always scans crowds when on linknown turf. Shard is glad to see Bishop hasn’t forgotten everything of his X.S.E. training.
So, it’s a given: Mountjoy had a ride. She doesn’t get the point. Bishop wants to find that ride and see where it leads them. Shard isn’t impressed by the plan. Bishop believes the “ride” is most likely to have gone to the police and/or a hospital. They’ll start with the precinct closest to where Mountjoy’s attack occurred. Knowing him, Bishop believes Mountjoy will want to cover his tracks, and make sure his former “ride” did not give away too many information about him.
Soon afterwards, the two arrive in front of the police station, and Bishop put Shard in cuffs. She really hates the manacles and also really dislikes Bishop’s plan. Bishop asks Shard if she has another one, but she hasn’t. In that case, Bishop states, they’ll do this, and he doesn’t want Shard to improvise! Bishop enters the station and shouts that he demands to see the watch commander. When Captain Eagleson appears and asks what’s going on, Bishop explains to him that he is with the X.S.E. and has just caught a dangerous mutant. He fakes that he needs Eagleson to keep Shard in a holding cell while he follows up on a report of another dangerous mutant recently signed in this area. When Eagleson says he never heard of the X.S.E., Bishop further explains that his agency is responsible for rounding up and neutralizing rogue mutants. Hearing this, Eagleson panics, as they aren’t equipped to deal with mutants.
While the two further discuss, they don’t notice that one of the cops has been taken over by Mountjoy. He admits that Bishop knows him so well, but unfortunately Mountjoy knows Bishop as well. And there they meet, as he planned.
Bishop tells the captain he’s aware of the demands of his job. All he needs to know is if any civilians have come to him to report having being taken over by someone. Eagleson confirms they had a freak claiming such a story about being possessed. They took the guy’s name and address and sent him out of there. They just thought he was just another crazy guy and now he wants Bishop out of there, as he already hates the fact he has to babysit a mutant freak.
Bishop says he also wants to get out of there, so he just wants the captain to give him that address so he can leave. Two other officers take Shard away. Bishop warns them not to touch her or put her in a cell with others. He explains that those manacles around her should neutralize her powers, but warns the cops not to take her eyes off her for a second. He promises to be back later for her. The cops tell Shard to get moving, as the sooner she’s gone, the sooner Bishop will be back to take her with him. Shard smiles and obeys.
Just around the corner, Shard attacks the cops and escapes! They warn their captain about it. Hearing this, the captain quickly hands over to Bishop the address of the earlier possessed guy, and tells him just to go after the mutant and leave. Bishop does as told, and thanks Eagleson for the address. Outside, Mountjoy sees everything and congratulates Bishop on putting up a nice scene, as he commandeers more cops on the so-called chase after Shard. While Bishop continues his act, Mountjoy sneaks up on Bishop and attacks him! The two fight and Bishop is knocked out. The cops see it happening and panic, identifying Mountjoy as a shape shifter and that he’s got the “X.S.E.” guy down. Mountjoy tries to escape and thinks this is getting ridiculous.
As Mountjoy makes big leaps to get away, Bishop gets back on his bike and warns Eagleson to get his men out of the way, because they have no idea how dangerous Mountjoy is. Eagleson claims he doesn’t understand much of everything that happened since Bishop got there. Mountjoy jumps on a police car and hijacks it, punching the driving officer out of it. He starts driving and Bishop chases him, but doesn’t want to start shooting, as he could hurt innocent bystanders. They driver further on the freeways, until Bishop finally opens fire on Mountjoy. When Bishop hits Mountjoy’s vehicle, the villain loses control over and the car explodes! Mountjoy claims Bishop has doomed them all now.
Some time later...
A shaken Bishop wakes up. At his side, Shard helps her big brother up, surprising him. Bishop takes Shard’s hand, and is shocked to see her... alive and no longer as a hologram! Shard jokes she won’t be alive much longer if Bishop doesn’t snap out of it. They have to move. Bishop looks around, and is shocked at what he finds. They’re back... in his future!? Finding some destroyed buildings around him, Bishop wonders if he never really left it, and if all his time with the X-Men was just a dream. Shard doesn’t know what Bishop is babbling about. She explains the last firefight knocked him unconscious for a few minutes, but otherwise he has been right there! Bishop is stunned...


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[Assistant]
Future Intense
The future…
Shard helps Bishop, warning him to get moving as there’s a bad guy coming their way! Bishop still can’t believe he’s back in his own timeline, and that everything with the X-Men was just a dream. He must be hallucinating! Shard slaps Bishop in his face, trying to make him feel that this is all true.
Shard thinks it’s no wonder that Bishop’s mind is messed up, as he spent too many time looking things up from the past. She tells him the past is dead and Bishop should let is stay buried. Bishop’s hand and head bleeds. Shard wants to take a look at it, but he doesn’t really trust her. Shard shouts at Bishop to just let her do it and he allows it. It looks like Bishop got a concussion from the blast, which could be the reason why his mind is fussy.
Suddenly, a familiar face joins the two: Malcolm! Malcolm warns Lieutenant Shard that they’ve located their quarry. Bishop is thrilled to see Malcolm alive, as they could use his help in defeating Mountjoy. Bishop finally remembers that’s what he was doing: the explosion took place while he was chasing Mountjoy, and that this is all wrong. Shard is already dead, being a hologram now. Bishop concentrates, and Shard and Malcolm fade away.
Reality...
Bishop wakes up on the streets, with his head bleeding. Captain Eagleson and another officer help him up, warning Bishop he’s got a concussion. They don’t know how he could have survived that explosion. Mountjoy asks the officers about the other man in the explosion, and if he survived. A bystander confirms that, and mentions he wandered off into an alley nearby. Bishop sees Mountjoy and calls after him, which upsets Mountjoy of course. Bishop wants to chase after him, but the officers suggest that Bishop takes a rest for a moment. Bishop refuses, because, if he does that, people are definitely going to die!
Mountjoy is hungry and wants some food. He finds a drunken hobo lying on the alley he’s in, and wants to absorb him. But on that moment Bishop arrives and warns Mountjoy to get away from him. Mountjoy ignores Bishop and absorbs the hobo, and the poor guy becomes part of him. Bishop opens fire on Mountjoy, who jumps at the top of the roof of a nearby building. He mocks Bishop that surely he can do better than that. However, he realizes that Bishop is probably trying to save the life of the hobo. Or, perhaps, Mountjoy believes, perhaps their earlier skirmish left Bishop unable to shoot straight for a while. Mountjoy claims he has renewed himself, which means Bishop cannot save his victim, and Bishop himself is now his prey. He promises to eat Bishop alive! Bishop refuses to let that happen.
He spots a high security voltage cabinet on the wall. He pulls the cabinet’s wires loose and absorbs their electrical energies. Bishop screams from the pain, but does his best to absorb the energies and rechannel it. He succeeds, and fires his newfound powers at Mountjoy, who jumps away before impact. Mountjoy is impressed at the power display, and knows better things to do when Bishop is acting this way. He tries to escape, but Bishop refuses to let that happen and follows Mountjoy, climbing up a fire escape of a building. Bishop makes it to the top of the building, where he finds Mountjoy waiting for him, holding a pipe he broke loose. Mountjoy mocks Bishop that once again, the hunter has become the hunted, and slams Bishop back down!
Another memory...
Bishop remembers something from his past, when he was a kid and talking to an old blind man called Hancock. He’s surprised to see him again. Hancock asks Bishop if he’s okay, because it was a nasty fall he took. He thought Bishop would be done for, for sure. But now that he’s better, Hancock asks Bishop if he wants some soup, or slop, or whatever it is he’s trying to make. Bishop says he wants some. He asks Hankcock if it’s true what people say, and if he fought in the Summers’ rebellion.
Hancock drinks takes a sip from his soup and confirms it. He even met Summers, claiming he was some piece of work. Hancock had fire in his eyes those days... literally. Up until the backfire burned them out. His soup tastes like garbage, however. He tells Bishop that if that sister of his ever gets back with the herbs he asked for, the soup might become edible, if not palatable. Hancock continues to explain that he and his squad – Southpaw, Hecate’, Pachinko and Dwayne – survived most of the rebellion together. Those were some hard days. Bishop asks Hancock if he ever misses those days. Hancock thinks about it for a while before answering.
Staring at his campfire, Hancock says that it were terrible days back then, full of fear and horror and death. But he also remembers the days before the revolution, when the Sentinels ruled, and they were worse. “Norms” hated anyone who had genetic “talents,” like Bishop’s powers to shove around kinetic energy, and they built Sentinels to wipe out the mutants. Thing is, the Sentinels eventually took over everything. Bad as the rebellion was, it was probably the closest they ever got to the dream. “Ol’ Professor X’s” dream of humans and mutants living together. That’s because they all worked together to overthrow the Sentinels. The war couldn’t have been won otherwise. But the world forgot about it since. And they all lost something in result. So, in that result, Hancock really misses those days.
Shard returns with the herbs Hancock requested. She asks if there is anything else to eat, as she’s starving. Shard sees her brother’s awake, and asks if he’s alright because she thought he was dead. Bishop claims he’s fine and promises nothing’s going to happen to them. But then, Mountjoy appears behind them! Bishop warns Shard to get away, but then remembers something. He never met Mountjoy until he was... older?!
Reality...
Bishop wakes up finding Mountjoy’s hand over his face. He punches Mountjoy off of him, wanting to get away to clear his head. Mountjoy laughs at this, as he loves a good chase, especially when the odds are in his favor. He runs onto the streets, fearing for Shard and Ororo’s lives. He concludes they’re probably safe. He almost collapses and tries to hold himself up against a wall.
Some street punks find Bishop and, when they see his big guns, they want them for themselves. Bishop starts to remember things from his past again, thinking he’s being bullied again by Halfstrak and Billiboy. He fears they’re going to beat him up again like last time, and wants to get Shard into safety. He begs Hancock to save him. The punks start beating Bishop up, but are stopped by a patrolling police car. They arrest the punks and tend to Bishop, who looks pretty bad and bleeds again. He asks the cops who they are.
Bishop’s future...
Recoil and Amazon introduce themselves as X.S.E. agents to Bishop, and they’ve arrested Billiboy and Halfstreak. Amazon tells Bishop that they’re mutants just like him, and that they hunt rogue mutants like those two. Bishop introduces himself, and Amazon smiles she heard of Bishop’s name on the Internet. And they were good things. She asks Bishop if maybe he wants to join the Xavier Security Enforcers. Bishop gets up, telling Recoil and Amazon that, if he joins them, his little sister should come along as she needs protection. He promised he would always protect her.
The present...
Bishop wakes up, and the cops asks Bishop what he just said about his sister. Bishop explains to him that his sister’s dead, and that his head is exploding. Suddenly, arrows are shot at the cops and Bishop, and one of the cops is killed. Bishop, still a bit out of it, thinks that he just saw Shard die and cries for her. The other cop hides them behind his police car, hoping they’ll be safe. Mountjoy attacks the officers and absorbs the two punks into him. Bishop recognizes Mountjoy, and quickly tackles him down. Mountjoy believes that, though Bishop defeated him, he could never kill him. Bishop looks surprised at that statement, and believes Mountjoy is right. Why can’t he kill his enemy, Bishop wonders. He did it in the X.S.E...
Bishop’s future...
At the X.S.E. headquarters, an angry Shard asks Bishop what’s wrong with him. Malcolm, getting the hint that the siblings need to talk to each other, leaves and says he’ll catch up later. Bishop asks his little sister what’s eating her. Shard, still angry, doesn’t want Bishop to patronize him, as she’s his commanding officer! And yes, there’s something eating her. She wants to know when Bishop is going to grow up?! She’s aware he turned down another command position that she spent no little time setting up for him. Bishop says it’s a position he never asked for. Besides, he already has a command position.
Shard knows: Bishop is commanding a squad. She admits to Bishop he has real command potential, but he keeps insisting on pulling street duty with guys like Malcolm and Randall. She knows they’re Bishop’s friends, but doesn’t really understand it. Bishop explains that the streets are where he belongs. It’s she who wanted a big-time command position and now she’s getting it. That’s fine for her, but Bishop doesn’t want that. He thinks he’s embarrassing her.
Shard doesn’t think that’s fair, as she spent a lot of time protecting his position in the X.S.E. and he didn’t even care. Bishop thinks some might call it fair, as he spent a lot of time protecting her before she became a cop. Shard knows. She’s aware she wouldn’t even be on the force if not for Bishop. Her talent hadn’t even materialized yet. And Bishop refused to join unless she joined along. She doesn’t mean to sound ungrateful. Bishop tells Shard she earned her place in the X.S.E... and her position. He respects and admires her for what she achieved here. But it’s just not for him. There are certain things he has to do.
The present...
A bullet flies past Bishop’s head, and the surviving cop demands that Bishop drops his gun. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he won’t let Bishop kill that “innocent man.” Mountjoy smiles and thanks the officer. Mountjoy jumps back into the sky and escapes. Bishop informs the cop it was Mountjoy who killed his partner, and now he let him escape. Bishop chases after Mountjoy and sees him diving into... the subway? The two cut the line, upsetting the other waiting passengers. Mountjoy misses a train, and thinks he better goes deeper inside the tunnel as Bishop is right behind him.
Bishop runs after Mountjoy, but then his head starts pounding again. He’s lost in his memories. Now is then and then is now... all the same... lost in time... all lost in time... everything is lost in time! Bishop stops for a while, realizing he can’t afford to let this happen. He tries to focus and get his head clear. But, as Bishop does that, Mountjoy sneaks up on him from the shadows, and... absorbs Bishop! Bishop fails to release himself from Mountjoy’s grip, and is lost as well.
Mountjoy triumphs, and proclaims tat he now owns Bishop’s body, memories and powers. Everything about Bishop is open to him, even his fears! And now he knows how to hurt Bishop most. And next, they’re going to destroy what Bishop holds most sacred: they’re going to destroy... the X-Men!


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Final Reckonings
On the grounds outside Xavier’s...
Mountjoy is still in possession of Bishop’s body and, as Bishop, he walks over entrance of Xavier’s school. He claims that the strongest must die first: Storm will go out first with a gut shot. Cyclops and Psylocke will get headshots. He mocks that perhaps they’ll play with Rogue and use her to help them kill the others. He adds that Professor X, of course, must be eliminated quickly. And Jean Grey... she needs to go last. After all, that’s how the scenario goes.
He finds the school, and jokes that this is where the X-Men will get killed and betrayed by one of their own. Bishop tries to free himself, but Mountjoy holds him in his grip. He reminds Bishop that this is his own fault, as Mountjoy himself would have been just as happy not to have their encounter, but it was Bishop who sought him out. And he also didn’t really like the fact that Bishop tried to kill him earlier. And now, he has to kill the X-Men, because he can’t have them knowing he’s there, and then he’ll go after Bantam again. Mountjoy will take pleasure in killing the X-Men, simply because it will hurt Bishop.
Inside the mansion, Psylocke’s telekinetic powers “see”’ that Bishop is on the front lawn, but they indicate that there’s something weird with him. She thinks she should check it out, but Gambit asks her not to, as he has a message for Bishop from the Professor. The Professor said he wanted to talk with Bishop if – and when – he came home, and Gambit suspects the Professor himself should arrive back home soon.
Outside, Xavier is being chauffeured in a limo. He found the seminar he just attended interesting, but still wonders about Bishop. He wonders how Bishop is doing and if he’s going to come back to them. Xavier realizes he could easily find Bishop if he wanted to, but that would be prying. He can only pray Bishop will turn up in good time.
Inside the school, Mountjoy is struggling with Bishop, who keeps trying to hide his memories and thoughts from him. Mountjoy wonders what it is Bishop is trying to keep concealed. Gambit enters the hallways and sees “Bishop” and asks how he’s doing. Mountjoy punches Gambit into his face, mocking that this isn’t how he planned it, but believes one of them should be enough to make an inspiration. Mountjoy still struggles, and Bishop tries to point his gun towards his head, wanting to kill himself! However, Mountjoy manages to regain control and goes to the next room, where Psylocke is polishing her sword. She detects Bishop’s mind, but immediately senses something’s wrong with it, as it’s so hard to read than otherwise. Mountjoy pushes the door open and tells Psylocke to look into his eyes. She does, and “contact” is made.
Mountjoy releases Bishop and wants to absorb Psylocke next, informing her that, if it weren’t for his basilisk field, she would be able to stop him. Betsy is combat ready, but Mountjoy is too fast for her and goes right into her body! He has his head and hair take over Psylocke’s body, while the rest remains the same. Jokingly, Mountjoy says, “That’s one.” Bishop tries to gather his strength and reminds himself that he swore to defend the X-Men. Bishop attacks Mountjoy, but he kicks him down and runs outside and let’s Psylocke’s body take over. She is welcomed by Gambit, who thinks he’s talking to the real deal and that she managed to stop Bishop. However Mountjoy attacks Gambit and absorbs him as well. Gambit and Psylocke both struggle to get themselves free, but Mountjoy won’t let them. And, from the memories he absorbed from Bishop earlier, he knows that Gambit will survive into their future timeline. Mountjoy thinks about just killing the other X-Men and letting Gambit live, so he can ride Remy into the future!
He also wants to save Bishop for last, as a sarcastic final pleasure. Now, Mountjoy thinks all he has to do next is wait for the renowned Professor X to return. Inside his limo, Xavier is still thinking about whether Bishop will return to him. He wants to contact Psylocke asking for information, but since he’s almost at the school, Charles doesn’t see the point of it.
Later, Mountjoy has left the defeated Bishop alone. Shard appears in front of him and warns Bishop to get up, as their enemy is off to eat the X-Men and she’s only a hologram, so she can’t be of any use. Bishop thinks he can’t kill Mountjoy now that he’s absorbed his teammates. but Shard thinks he can. He has to, and should have done it when Mountjoy had absorbed just one of his teammates. Bishop angrily tells Shard that’s exactly what her problem always was: she always wanted to risk lives during missions, even those of her comrades. Bishop leaves and enters an elevator, which goes down. Shard phases through it and defends that those actions always got the job done, no matter the cost, physically or emotionally, to herself or others. That’s why she got promoted and he didn’t. Bishop reminds Shard she wanted to get promoted, and he was comfortable at where he was. Which gives him an idea on how to beat Mountjoy. He has a plan. Shard sighs, as she hates Bishop’s plans.
Bishop thinks Shard will love this one. He explains Forge made some improvements in her hologram programming. He can tap Shard into the security system and she can appear everywhere she wants in the mansion. If he routes her through the Danger Room, the Shi’ar technology can make her substantial... solid, when necessary. While Bihsop tends to the technical part of his plan, he wants Shard to lure Mountjoy to the Danger Room, and he’ll also prepare some surprises for him. And he wants Shard to hurry up, as Archangel is landing up in the aerie.
Meanwhile, in the aerie...
Archangel lands inside a room, where Mountjoy was waiting for him. Warren doesn’t know who it is. Mountjoy jokes that he’s a man of many faces. He shows Warren that he absorbed the bodies of Psylocke and Gambit, which shocks him. Mountjoy has made contact. He notices that Warren’s wings rise up when in defense mode which gives him an idea. He uses Gambit’s powers to charge up a playcard, joking it’s time for him to use a defense mode now. The card hits Warren and he falls out of the window. Mountjoy jumps after Warren and touches his face, absorbing him. Mountjoy’s new metallic wings come out of his back immediately, and he’s glad he has these new, strange weapons. Mountjoy says they have room for one more now, and that will be Professor X. And thanks to Psylocke’s psychic powers he knows Xavier will be arriving soon, so he’ll just shield his thoughts to keep up the surprise.
Shard approaches Mountjoy and mocks “mountebank” that he’s clever but not really smart. Mountjoy is glad to see her again, and shoots knives out Warren’s wings at her. However, Shard is not frightened by them, and the blades move right through her, instead blowing up a wall of the mansion. Mountjoy doesn’t understand how Shard could have dodged that attack, and wants to finish her off with a psychic knife now. However, he still goes through and falls through the hole in the wall, and ends up following Shard into the Danger Room.
Once there, Shard moves away and a simulation of their future timeline appears. Mountjoy is shocked, as this is the time he came from, and wonders if Bishop found a way back... a portal, maybe. But then, Mountjoy discovers from his absorbed rides where he is. Bishop overhears it from the control room, and quickly orders the Danger Room to close and seal itself down. Bishop faces Mountjoy himself, holding his guns ready, and warns Mountjoy to give up or he’ll kill him. Mountjoy disagrees, as he still occupies three of Bishop’s teammates, and doesn’t think he’ll kill him now. While he himself will!
Bishop still opens fire on Montjoy and hits him, but not badly. Mountjoy thinks Bishop deliberately missed him, and wants to test something out. He charges up one of Gambit’s cards again, thinking it’s electrical energy and throws it at Bishop, wanting to see how he reacts to it these days. Bishop corrects Mountjoy that Gambit charges kinetic energy, which he can absorb and redirect. Bishop fires the energy at Mountjoy, which releases a powerful blast across the room. Moutnjoy falls down on the ground, but the Danger Room is also partly destroyed. Bishop grabs Mountjoy by his throat, threatening him to release the X-Men or he’ll kill him regardless because, if the X-Men stay inside him, they’ll be doomed anyway and he wants to be the instrument of their deaths before they suffer any more.
A Danger Room cable has come lose during the attack, and sparks come from it. Bishop thinks he’d better hurry up before it hits them both. Mountjoy sees the cable as well. He pulls some more lose and traps Bishop in them, not allowing him to release himself. He thinks that, if Bishop can’t immediately rechannel the energy, he’ll explode. Shard appears and warns Mountjoy to let her brother go, or else she’ll put him away again, just like last time. Or perhaps she’ll just kill him. But Mountjoy states that this isn’t like “last time. He’s much stronger now than Shard ever was. Shard mocks Mountjoy that he always was a better talker than a fighter, and wants him to prove himself.
Mountjoy attacks Shard, wanting to absorb her for her insults, and then kill the other X-Men and Xavier. And when he has done that, he’ll absorb her. However, Shard corrects Mountjoy that she’s already dead and simply a hologram now. She warns Bishop to fire one of his blasts at her, but he’s afraid he’ll destroy her holographic matrix if he does that, meaning he can lose her again. And this time, it will be forever. Shard orders him to do it, and Bishop reluctantly does. Gambit, Psylocke and Archangel are freed, and a damaged Shard tells Bishop to finish the job, and execute their prisoner. Mountjoy also declines Bishop to kill him because, if he won’t, he’ll kill him.
Above in the control room, Xavier and Beast are taking note of everything, and want to see if Bishop will kill or not. He can easily intervene telepathically, preventing Bishop from doing it, but he wants to see if Bishop is an X-Man or not.


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

[Assistant]
Time Loves a Hero
Four children sit around a campfire with a man covered in a hooded robe. The children are frightened, says someone not near the fire. Could the man in the robe please tell them a story again? It sound like the children want the story, says the man with New Orleans French accent. The children want the story of the great man, who fell then rose. He was a hero in his own time, even though his time never was to be. They have… witnessed this man. The old man chuckles and decides that special children deserve a special story. He tells them to make sure the fire is tended to before they draw nearer for the story.
The man begins his tale, which starts with two mutant children who are on the run. One of the teenagers lights a bottle of alcohol and throws the firebomb at his chaser, claiming that no one will police him or his kind. The bomb explodes and the two run away. The other teenager asks if the man after them is dead, but the other boy tells him to just run. Out of the fire comes a man, undeterred by the attack. Over his intercom, Shard tells Bishop that she heard an explosion. Bishop tells her that he is fine and he can hear her just fine.
That isn’t entirely true, thinks Bishop, but a riot-in-progress often does that to communications. The streets have been wild for days as children run everywhere. They are young, strong mutants, who are quick to destroy the fragile peace built. They don’t want to be mutants and they don’t want to be told how to act. Bishop used to be just like them and he knows the kids won’t think he understands.
Over intercom, Shard tells Bishop to wait for backup, but Bishop reminds her that these children are wanted criminals, who will escape by the time the backup arrives. The kids can be saved only if he brings them in. Shard tells him not to enter the building he has arrived at alone, for they are X.S.E. agents and they do not work that way. She doesn’t want him to get killed. Bishop approaches the condemned building and pretends as if the communication is coming garbled. Taking cover elsewhere, Shard screams at him for lying, but he tells her that he will be in touch and turns off his intercom.
In the building, Bishop finds a dead boy, whose face is distorted into pain with his eyes still open in fear. The flesh has been sucked dry and Bishop realizes that kids don’t do this. In the darkness, Bishop spots several pairs of eyes. One of the children comes out of the darkness and tells Bishop that he told them that Bishop would take them away and put M’s on their faces and treat them like animals. Before Bishop can get an answer to who told them that, the boy whips out a gun and announces that their informant also told them how to defeat Bishop.
The boy starts to shoot at Bishop, who narrowly avoids the bullets. The man realizes that,since they are projectile weapons, his powers are useless. Only someone who knows him would know that. Bishop lands on the ground and thinks to himself how the children are young and unafraid. They remind him of him. Suddenly, the floor caves in beneath him and he thanks with a hard thud on the ground below. He was stupid to rush in alone and even more stupid because he would probably do it again. However, he has to stop the kids and show them that there is another way, even if he is alone and they are not.
Bishop notices a bright purple energy signature, as a voice asks him if he really did just walk into this little trap. Bishop looks at Fitzroy, who has opened a portal and tells Bishop that staying one leap ahead of the law isn’t as easy as he makes it look. Sometimes, he needs a helping hand. Sometimes, he gets it from those who hate Bishop as much as he does. He gets his power from anything living he can suck dry. He scoffs at Bishop, who marched in like a bull in the proverbial China shop. He is so predictable.
Disgusted, Bishop asks him if he is now using children. Fitzroy admits that the young would sacrifice quite a bit for their role models. Ask Shard; she knows what he is talking about. Bishop accuses Fitzroy of murdering that boy he found, but Fitzroy tells the X.S.E. officer that he needed an escape route and the boy offered his life. Fitzroy then notices Bishop eyeing a broken energy cable and realizes that he hopes to power up. However, is he fast enough to charge up and stop Fitzroy, who is already half way through his portal?
 Bishop leaps at the electricity, hoping that he is fast enough. He makes contact, charges and spins around in seconds to unleash his blast. However, Fitzroy is already gone. The building begins to shake as Bishop remembers that he is not alone. He looks up at the frightened and angry children, as the whole building collapses around them and there is nothing he can do to save the doomed children now.
the Present:
At the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Bishop wakes up from his nightmare, screaming in the middle of the night. As rain pours outside, he sits in bed and rubs his head. He has been having the same bad dream and the kids die the same way every time. After months in space, he has returned to Earth, betrayed by Deathbird and then left in the desert to find his own way home. He did return home to the X-Men, but things changed and he does not feel at home anymore. In fact, the X-Men are gone, save for Storm and Xavier, the man who created the team and quickly shattered it.
Storm comes into Bishop’s room and finds him staring out the window. Bishop tells her that he is fine. Storm reminds him that he is hardly one to scream in the middle of the night. Again, Bishop tells her that he is fine, but she sees that he is shaking. Bishop tells her that he is cold, due to the nasty weather. Storm herself is cold and admits that she could alter the weather, but she has a feeling it won’t end Bishop’s chills. They are closer than this; must she remind him? Finally, Bishop admits that he hasn’t been sleeping well, not since he returned to Earth. Storm caresses a plant and tells Bishop that this mansion is empty and quiet now. It is not hard to disturb her now. She has seen this place invaded by government agents and alien hordes, but never abandoned. The feeling is a violation all its own.
Later in the morning, the two change into their uniforms. Bishop sports the regular gold and blue training uniform and carries with him a duffel bag. Outside, Storm stops the rain and comments that they have had enough rain for today. Bishop tells her that she isn’t making this decision of his any easier. Storm tells him that what she sees is someone unsure of decisions, someone who feels uncomfortable around his family and someone else who is at odds with the concept of the X-Men family. She sees another one of her family leaving and, though she can see it, she cannot bear it. Bishop tells Storm that, when he came to this time, it was for a reason. He found new purpose with the X-Men and they gave him a chance to be part of something he believes in. However, he has unfinished business. Trevor Fitzroy, says Storm. Bishop tells her that he needs to find the man, which he should have done long ago.
Storm asks if she can help him, but he tells her that he put personal agendas aside for the greater good. Now, he must finish the old fight between himself and Fitzroy. Fitzroy was once part of the X.S.E., but betrayed them with deadly consequences. Bishop thought he could take Fitzroy down, but was wrong and many died due to that. Later, he led Malcolm and Randall into the past to take Trevor down. He failed and the other two men died. He doesn’t regret his time with the X-Men, but with the way things are around in the mansion, now is a good time to pick up the chase.
Storm tells him that going alone is very reckless, but he tells her that he is older, smarter and he is not alone. He is going to find Shard and he must do with without the X-Men. Storm tells him that, though the future is uncertain for the X-Men, they take care of their own. She will be in the mansion if he needs her assistance. Bishop takes off his X-Men badge and gives it to Storm. He wants her to hold it until he returns, which he will. Hesitantly, Storm says that she knows he will, as Bishop walks off. “Goodbye,” says Storm, caressing the emblem in her hands.
Bishop reaches New York City, a place he has visited many times, though he knows he can never call this place and time his own. He is out to find Shard, though he cannot believe she is where he thinks she is. While he was gone, X-Factor disbanded and Shard was alone not knowing if he lived or not. She did, however, leave him word on how to find her if he ever did return. They were hurried, rushed and scared words.
Bishop reaches a condemned looking apartment building and double checks Shard’s letter to confirm that this despondent building is where his sister truly is. Bishop enters the building and finds the air thicker and feels as if a thousand eyes are on him. He passes a man lying awake on the stairs and enters the second floor hallway. He doesn’t like the feeling of this place but, before he can deduce why, a young boy spots him and runs away scared. Bishop pulls out his gun and thinks about catching the boy and asking him why he is the only one running around in here and why it smells like oil and sour milk. However, Bishop reaches room 215, Shard’s room, and decides that the questions can wait.
Epilogue:
At a castle, the leader of the creatures that attacked Bishop tells their liege, the Chronomancer, that the building collapsed on Bishop. The Chronomancer asks Guardian if he saw a body. Guardian assures the Chronomancer that no one could have lived, but the man tells his servant to pardon his skepticism, but he doesn’t believe destiny to be so easily altered.
Suddenly, the regent who was attacked by Scorch and the others bursts into the room and apologizes for being late. The creatures stop the man from proceeding any further, but the Chronomancer orders them to let the man pass, as he flips an hour glass over. The man tells his liege that he was accosted by robbers, but a mysterious man saved him. He was an M-face, but different somehow. The Chronomancer tells the regent to give him his hand. Scared, the man asks if he did something wrong as he holds the Chronomancer’s hand. No, says his master as the man sucks the life force dry from the regent’s body, he has done nothing wrong at all.
The man looks down at the dried body of the regent and tells Guardian and his Chronotroopers to jump off a tower. He sighs at how finding good help is hard to find, even in this time. The Chronomancer, known previously to many simply as Trevor Fitzroy, steps out of the light and mocks his troops for thinking Bishop died, when in truth he is already here.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Wish You Were Here
Bishop slowly regains consciousness, though his vision is still blurred. He hears voices, one saying that he thought Bishop was supposed to be bigger. Another wonders if the man can hear them. Bishop’s vision becomes clearer, as he realizes that four children are looking down upon him.
One child claims that Bishop can hear everything, while another introduces himself as Innocent. A voice tells Innocent, Joshua, and the others to get away. The children leave, as Bishop weakly asks them for help. Nom suddenly looks down at Bishop, as Scorch tells the creature not to scare their captive, as they do no want him to pop a suture. Bishop regains coherence and finds that he is tied down to a bed, with his wounds all bandaged up.
In the room are Nom, Scorch and Jinx, the latter corralling the children. Scorch tells Bishop to forgive Nom, but he finds the X-Man as curious as the rest of them. It is not everyday that a stranger wanders the desert, wearing the mark of a long-lost legend. Jinx tells the children to step back, as Scorch wants to make a fool of himself. Sarcastically, Scorch tells Nom that it is good that they didn’t cut out Bishop’s tongue, as they want answers now, especially since it is clear that he is an agent of the Chronomancer.
Bishop tells Scorch that he knows nothing of a Chronomancer, but Scorch does not believe him and threatens him with a flame. A telepathic voice tells Scorch to step away and also orders Jinx to take the children away. Scorch turns to a blue haired woman named Link and tells her that, if she keeps on talking to them with her telepathy, she might have a stroke. Link tells him not to lecture her on how to talk, as she pulls back the cloth opening to the tent to allow her master to walk in.
A robed figure walks in and tells his people to stop arguing. Scorch warns the man not to get near, but the old man with a walking staff tells Scorch to get away. The man asks Bishop if he recognizes him. Bishop takes one look and asks if he is really looking at the Witness. The Witness chuckles and tells the group to untie Bishop, as he leaves the tent.
Later on, outside in the camp, which is in a forest, Jinx tells Link that her mother told her legends of that man. Scorch scoffs and calls those legends stories for the senile and young. Jinx tells him to be quiet and asks Link if Bishop is really the man from those legends. Link tells Jinx that they all have clung to the legends of the X-Men in one way or another. She has looked into their guest’s mind and found only confusion. Her own head is killing her and she cannot probe him anymore. If he is the legend, then they will soon find out. Yes, says Jinx, she will find out.
Nearby, the Witness and Bishop, who has assembled a new uniform out of several pieces of random cloth, sit on a log, as the Witness explains to Bishop that Tim is a straight line that keeps going. Most people follow that line but, for some people, the line follows them. Annoyed, Bishop asks the Witness why he speaks riddles. He left his future by his own choice to the X-Men’s time and saw so much. However, he is in neither time he knows of. Where is he? Cryptically, the Witness tells Bishop that he is where he needs to be.
Where is that, asks Bishop again. The Witness tells him that he is in the future and the present. This place isn’t like how it used to be, isn’t it? Bishop is supposed to be here. Angry, Bishop tells him that he is supposed to be home. The Witness tells him to stop yelling, but Bishop ignores him and demands to know who he really is. Is he really Gambit, as he has always suspected? Before Bishop can take off the Witnesses’ hood, the old man grabs him by the wrist and holds the X-Man back.
Bishop explains to the Witness that he left his sister behind in a massacre and he lost a boy named Michael during an assault on his life. Witness again tells Bishop to stop yelling. Bishop continues and says that he is not supposed to be there. This is not his home. Telepathically, Link asks him if he would go home again if he had the choice. Where is his home? Bishop tells her that his home is his own time, in the past. Which time is yours, asks Link. Annoyed again, Bishop tells her that he doesn’t know her and wants her out of his head, so she can talk to him normally. Link tells Bishop that none of them want to be here, but if he saw the rest of there world he wouldn’t complain about being at their camp.
From her probe, she knows that he is Bishop, or at least he thinks he is Bishop of the X-Men. Bishop asks how he can get back to his sister and the X-Men, but Link admits that she does not know. Witness tells Bishop that he has traveled through time and tells the man to think about what all his time travels have in common. Fitzroy, says Bishop. Witness corrects Bishop, as Fitzroy calls himself the Chronomancer now. Fitzroy found a time without Bishop and took it over. However, Bishop found him again. He can either run away or do what he needs to do.
Bishop walks off into the forest and announces that the choice isn’t his. It never was his choice. Scorch asks Jinx if she buys this time travel nonsense, but the woman chases after Bishop into the woods. Scorch is about to go after her, but the Witness tells him to let her go.
Bishop walks through the rest of the camp with Jinx behind him, neither saying a word until he asks her if all the children here are mutants, as he notices all have the M mark on their faces. Maybe, maybe not, says Jinx. They are all orphans and all those who have no one left find their way to this camp. In time, some may be mutants, just like her. Bishop asks her why they mark themselves as mutants if they are trying to hide. Jinx tells him that to survive they must steal and to do so they need fear on their side, hence the ink M’s on their faces.
Bishop, who still thinks that the Witness is Gambit, thinks of how Remy trained them all to be thieves. The two walk towards a woman named Merrian, who tells her husband, Morgan, who is trying to fix his wagon, that he should let Nom help him. Morgan, however, refuses to let Nom help, though the creature is already helping by lifting the back of the wagon so Morgan can fix the bottom. Jinx introduces Merrian to Bishop as a guest of theirs.  Merrian apologizes for the mess, as she and her husband broke the wheel to their wagon on the rough roads. Morgan mutters about the stupid roads, but Merrian tells Bishop not to mind him, as the two of them have faced much worse. Jinx tells Bishop that Merrian and her husband have been living with them for two years. They take in refugees from wherever they find them.
Bishop asks Merrian what happened to her that could lead her to come to this camp. Jinx tells Bishop that they can explain later, but Merrian tells her that she can explain now, as she can tell from Bishop’s eyes that he knows about hard times. She and her husband struggled to put food on their table, but they hoped things would improve over time. Things changed, however, and the Chronotroopers came at night, like they did the town before theirs. Merrian and Morgan watched from their home, as the Chronotroopers went from one house to another. They already paid their taxes, so the two had no clue what the troops wanted. Morgan told her to hide the childe, but Merrian was confused, as they had already given what they could to the regents. Now, however, the regents answered to a new regime. The Chronotroopers came into their house and taught them they could take much more: their child. Merrian begins to cry and claims that the Chronomancer is the blackest of all men. Jinx consoles Merrian, as Bishop realizes that Fitzroy ruined this woman’s life.
Scorch asks Bishop if that is what Bishop intends to do: stop Fitzroy. If Bishop knows the Chronomancer, then are the rest of them to assume that he knows how to stop him. If Bishop has been after Fitzroy for so long, how come he hasn’t stopped him? If he is indeed the “Last X-Man,” then why is there a Chronomancer at all? Why did he allow all this to happen? Bishop simply tells Scorch that things are complicated. Scorch tells him that though he would normally trust Jinx’s judgment, he cannot help but not trust Bishop in this kind of world.
Jinx tells Scorch to back off, but Scorch tells her that she is getting soft and he knows how she is. Jinx tells him that he has no clue how she is and he better not forget that. Scorch tells Jinx that he cannot follow anyone and, if this stranger wants to be in their camp, he must pull his weight. Bishop tells Scorch that he isn’t going to fight him, but Scorch isn’t sure Bishop even can.
Elsewhere, snow falls over the Chronomancer’s castle, as he and several Chronotroopers march through the entrance of a prison tower. Locked up at the top is Shard, who is cold. She recalls how the Chronotroopers came back for her after they took her brother. She doesn’t know why they took her or where she is. All she knows is that she is cold and scared. Shard finds herself curled up in one corner of her cell, unable to move, thanks to Fitzroy. He did this once to her, but she does not know where he learned the trick or why he did it to her. He must have a reason.
Fitzroy comes in and asks her if she is comfortable. He pulls back his robe, revealing that he is bald, and tells the Chronotroopers to leave. Gently, Fitzroy caresses Shard’s cheek, like he used to touch her. It is the way he touched her when he wanted something. He apologizes for all she has seen and hopes that in time he can make it up to her. With a hand gesture, Shard is able to move again. Fitzroy moves to the window and understands that Shard thinks he is a monster. He hopes he can make everything up to her. Shard takes advantage of the situations and shoots a bolt of energy at Fitzroy. However, the man quickly turns around and opens a temporal portal, in which the blast enters. The portal closes and opens again outside the tower where Shard’s blast harmlessly is sent out.
Fitzroy tells Shard that quality time is something that the two of them cannot afford that much anymore. Besides, he can think of a few better things to do now than quarrel. He calls her his little one and tells her that time is standing still for the two of them. Shard backs away from him and orders him to never call her “little one” again. Fitzroy asks Shard about what she wants to know. Does she want to know how he became capable of using his powers in these new ways? How could he aspire to such greatness? He has done things in the past that he wishes he could change, though he knows she doesn’t believe him. Time might heal those wounds. He had everything and threw it all away for a calling with the X.S.E. and for his love with… her. Shard calls him crazy, but Fitzroy reveals that he has plans for the both of them. Shard asks where her brother is, but Fitzroy tells her that he is gone and all they have is one another. He then leaves Shard alone in the cold again.
Back at the refugee camp, a crowd forms around Bishop and Scorch, all awaiting a fight. Flames erupt around Scorch’s hands, as he tells Bishop that he stopped believing in heroes when he was a child. This camp needs no heroes, since myths do not put food on the table. Stories don’t make evil go away. He believes in strength and will. What does Bishop say to that? Bishop simply tells Scorch that he is not here by choice and he doesn’t want to be anything. However, he will help them if they want him to.
Scorch leaps at Bishop, who realizes that the man is blind, due to his anger. Someone needs to open his eyes. Bishop tells Scorch that they are not enemies, as he easily slams the man to the ground. Scorch tells Bishop that he is formidable but he forgets that, in this world, he is Scorch’s enemy until proven otherwise. He kicks Bishop in the face and rolls away. Scorch erupts in flames and announces that his enemies tend to find him formidable too.
Nearby, Link asks the Witness if they should stop the fight, for people could be injured and they have few things to work with already. Witness tells her to let the fight continue a little bit longer, as they can learn more about Bishop. Besides, Scorch could use a good butt kicking. Bishop finds himself encircled by flames. He hears Scorch’s voice telling him that he once heard that fire was a living thing and asks how much energy Bishop can absorb before his flesh is burnt and his bones blackened. Bishop tells Scorch that he talks a lot, but knows little of how his powers work. He doesn’t have to touch him. All Scorch has to do is keep on talking and give him as much hot air as possible. Scorch is an angry man and he blindly rushed into battle without knowing his opponents abilities.
Bishop begins to absorb the heat, much to the dismay of the weakening Scorch. Jinx is blinded by the light, as Link tells Witness that the fight is ending. Bishop absorbs enough energy and tells Scorch that he hopes he has learned a lesson. Bishop then unleashes his energy back at Scorch, slamming the man against a tree. Bishop asks Scorch if he is all right. The weak man tells him not to touch him. Bishop has seen the way they live here and they way they have to hide. He turns to Jinx and tells her that Bishop could have stopped the Chronomancer a long time ago, for he has just proven that he had the ability. Scorch tells Jinx to ask her hero if it is true.
Back at Fitzroy’s castle, the man plays with an hourglass and watches as the sand passes from one chamber to another. However, sometimes one large grain gets caught in the middle and holds up the flow. It requires a little coaxing before it can be set back on the path. All these years, Fitzroy has feared Bishop. However, they are not the same men that they used to be and Fitzroy is no longer afraid. Bishop will learn that. At that moment, at the refugee camp, a child finds her missing ball and tells Joshua that she has found it. She climbs out of the bushes and picks it up. When she looks back up, she finds herself in front of the Chronotroopers.
In the forest, Jinx tells Bishop, who watches the setting sun, that it will be dark soon. The woods aren’t safe at night. Bishop tells Jinx that, all his life, he has saved people. He never became cocky or proud. However, he could have stopped Fitzroy. Now, he is in this strange time and his worst mistake is laughing at him. Jinx tells Bishop that when she was a child she stole to survive. She was afraid of what she became, but her mother always told her stories about him and the others like him. They were what her mother gave her. One day, she also found something else. Jinx pulls out a circular object, wrapped up in paper, and tells Bishop that it means more to her than anything in the world. She wants him to have it.
Bishop is flattered and he unwraps the gift, but is immediately shocked as he looks down upon the X-Men badge that he gave to Storm before he left! Bishop asks her where he found this. Jinx tells him that they are all lost in this world and they all look for something to believe in. Can he truly say that he has not done great things? Jinx leans in to kiss Bishop, when, suddenly, she hears a snapping of a twig. She whips out her staff and tells Bishop that they are not alone.
Bishop tells Jinx to wait, but she runs with her super-speed into the forest with furious speed. Jinx grabs a boy out of the woods and shines the light from her staff on him. It is Michael, who screams that he saw a light and then it went away and then he was here in the woods. Bishop pushes Jinx away from him and explains that Michael came here with him, but also asks why she and her people are always so quick to attack. Suddenly, a massive explosion erupts from the forest. Jinx turns around, as her whole life changes in an instant. “Bishop, the camp…,” screams Jinx, “It’s burning!”