(Tokyo, Japan)
Wolverine has a quick swig of alcohol to help relax himself. Emma Frost contacts him telepathically and informs him that she and Cyclops are two blocks away and closing fast. Is he ready? Logan pulls on his mask and snikts his claws. “Yeah,” he replies.
Now that Wolverine is in position, Scott and Emma’s car pulls up in the middle of the street. Frankly, there’s nowhere else to go as the giant dragon Fin Fang Foom is blocking their path; flames crackling from his huge mouth. Scott wonders if, given the circumstances, they should bring in Armor. Emma thinks not. She has enough to deal with right now.
(elsewhere)
It’s night time and Hisako is with her father. As they drive through the city, she says that she is sorry she wasn’t there. He replies that, if she were, she would have been in the car with them. “And I could have protected them,” she replies. He says perhaps, but she could have died, too. Hisako turns away, losing herself in her thoughts. They soon arrive at the family home where several other family members have already gathered.
Back in the city, Emma and Cyclops take cover behind a truck and Scott asks if the cops have cleared the buildings and streets. Emma says it’s all clear and Scott appreciates Japanese efficiency. When he asks if she can get inside its head, Emma replies that she’s tried but there’s nothing there… just a low-level hum that she cannot yet identify. Scott looks up as Fin Fang Foom’s shadow crosses their path. It appears to have identified them. They quickly take cover as it spews a wall of flame and acid. Up above, Wolverine leaps onto the giant’s back, sticking his claws into its thick hide. It responds by swatting him with its tail which is solid and covered in spikes. He calls down that they can jump in anytime, but he is smacked again in the face and begins to lose consciousness.
From the ground, Cyclops unleashes his optic blast, sending the giant into the air and rocketing backwards to the ground. It crashes down, tipping up cars and demolishing buildings as it does so. Emma doesn’t think it can be that easy and Wolverine confirms this. The creature gets up again quickly, tossing Wolverine off its back and into the air. It roars as it prepares to attack once more.
(meanwhile)
A low-level Roxxon junior executive receives a phone call and doesn’t like what he hears. He runs down the corridor asking where Director Brewer is. Brewer, it turns out, is seated at a large table with some of his employees, asking where the hell their ship is. A radio operator replies that there’s still no contact with the crew. Brewer doesn’t care about the crew. He cares about their damn ship. Someone asks if they can’t get somebody from the Tokyo refinery to do a flyby. The radio operator informs him that he’s trying, but he can’t get through. The phone towers seem to be overloaded for some reason. The junior exec appears and informs Director Brewer that he has some very important news. Brewer asks who the hell he is. He replies that his name is Duncan Clark, but he is then interrupted by the radio operator who tells Brewer that he has radio contact with the crew. He puts them on loud speaker.
Brewer is more than surprised when Mentallo’s voice comes over the radio. That’s what Mentallo was going for. Brewer asks to speak to Gasden, but Mentallo informs him that he’s otherwise occupied with being dead. “What?” barks Brewer. “What is the status of the mission?” Mentallo replies that the status has changed… quite dramatically. Monster Island is his. If Brewer wants it back it’s gonna cost him. A lot. He stands before several giant creatures including a gorilla, a turtle and an octopus. Brewer asks if he’s attempting to extort Roxxon. He then begins to laugh and puts his hands behind his head, relaxing into his chair. He tells Mentallo that the answer is no, of course. But, out of sheer curiosity, what did he plan to do if theu didn’t play ball? Mentallo says he takes it they haven’t got the news out of Tokyo yet. Clark leans over and informs Director Brewer that Tokyo is under attack… by a monster. Listening to that, Mentallo grins.
(elsewhere)
A young boy at the funeral sees events in Tokyo unfold on a portable device, but his father snatches it from his grasp and orders him to be quiet. This is a wake for friends of their family and it is an honor to be there. He will be respectful and he will obey. After the short service, his father walks up to Hisako and her father and shakes their hands. He offers his family’s condolences for which Hisako thanks him. He tells her father that he mourns their loss almost as if it was his own. For a father to lose his only son is a great tragedy. Hisako’s father says it is as she lets a tear trickle down her cheek.
She walks away but her father grabs her forearm and asks her to return with him. He cannot do this alone. She asks if he blames her for not being there. Does he not wish it was she who had died? Her father replies that she is being very selfish. She turns and heads inside where she finds many of the mourners gathered around a flat-screen television. A news report is showing live video of the X-Men battling a dragon-like monster in Downtown Tokyo. Her father stands behind her, arms folder. “Hisako?” he tells her. “Now is the time to stand with your family.
Back on Monster Island, Mentallo informs Brewer that he wants five-hundred million dollars. Brewer says that’s ridiculous and Mentallo agrees. He ups the figure to eight… in bearer bonds. He has twenty-four hours. He dispatches a courier to pick it up and a large flying creature takes off on his command. He tells Brewer that he is a smart guy. He suggests he keep it that way and give him what the #%%*@ wants, or Tokyo won’t be the only refinery he loses.
Brewer looks up at an advisor and asks about the Tokyo refinery. The guy informs him that they finally got through to them a few minutes ago and they’re still operational. Brewer says that Mentallo believes otherwise. Any ideas why? Another employee clicks on Brewer’s laptop and says Mentallo probably doesn’t know about them. Brewer looks at the screen and asks someone to get him a line to Tokyo. Their relationship with the X-Men has been strained to say the least, but that’s about to change. Vested interests aside, they’re about to become the good guys.
As Fin Fang Foom stomps through the city, the three X-Men realize this is going nowhere fast. It’s too big and strong for them. Scott says they should kill it. Three armed guys then appear and their leader identifies himself as Evan Graves, Deputy Chief of Ops in Tokyo. Before he can finish his sentence, Wolverine cuts him off and tells him that they know who he works for. Graves replies that there’s a few things he probably doesn’t know. For starters, are they familiar with a guy named Mentallo? The three X-Men look surprised and Graves takes that as a yes. He informs them that he’s the one controlling the monster that they and Roxxon currently have issues with. He would like to tell them where to find him.
Wolverine tells Scott, “You know what that means, right?” Scott replies that it means they’re going to Monster Island after they’re done there. Logan adds that the creature isn’t thinking for itself. Scott knows that a mental attack does them no good and asks Emma to diamond up. Logan asks Scott to listen to him, but Scott turns and replies no. He can listen to him. Emma’s going up the middle and they are taking the flanks. Wolverine simply replies that they cannot kill it, to which Scott asks if he’s suggesting they reason with it. Emma doesn’t think that’s possible. Wolverine replies that he isn’t suggesting anything. He’s just saying it ain’t his fault. He wonders if they could trap it somehow - lead it out into the harbor. “We could use the Blackbird to…”
As he speaks, Fin Fang Foom attacks, his massive mouth narrowly missing the three of them as they leap to safety. They are standing on a bridge which starts to rise higher and higher until suddenly it lists, sending the cards, bystanders and the X-Men tumbling down its slope. Scott manages to outstretch his hand to grab Wolverine, while a truck careens towards them along with Emma Frost. Cyclops realizes they’re all going over the edge when they are suddenly saved by a huge orange hand. Wolverine looks up and sees Armor, who floats visibly in the center of the torso of her now gigantic armor.
“What’re you doing here?” he asks. Hisako, in the middle of her armor, which stands as high as Fin Fang Foom, replies, “Standing. With my family.”
