(Savior’s hold, Santo Marko)
Shadow lies dead and the embers die down, following an explosion on the X-Jet. Storm mourns her, as Emmeline Frost tries to locate Kurt. Savior tells Scott Summers not to worry. None of this matters. This is not his reality after all. Over here, Scott is perfectly free to send Kitty Pryde to her death. She’s not his Kitty Pryde. And who cares if little Kurt Waggopner died in a fireball trying to steal his Ghost Box? In an infinite universe, there are countless Kurt Waggoner’s living and dying every day. So, it probably doesn’t matter that Scott’s about to doom the civilian population of the entire planet!
Howlett asks Scott what Savior is talking about, but Scott says it’s nothing. He’s a lying murderer. He’s seen what he did. James says sure, so why hasn’t Scott killed him? Savior thinks that’s exactly the question he’d like to explore, but preferably under more even-sided circumstances.
Behind him, the wall crashes into the room as Armor reaches inside and picks up Savior. Howlett wishes to deal with her, but Scott asks him to wait. In his world, Hisako is a good kid. She would never… As he speaks, Armor knocks over the massive Cyclops statue forcing civilians below to flee in terror. Emma contacts Scott telepathically and says she’s trying to reach her but she’s not responding. Savior must be controlling her. As she speaks, she sees the statue falling towards her. Luckily, Cyclops uses his optic beam to shatter it before it crushes her. She tells him that, no matter what dimension he’s in, he always knows how to make a mess. Scott replies that this time he had help but, looking at Storm, he says that doesn’t understand why exactly. Storm tells him that she showed him what is inside her mind. She will do anything to protect the innocents of this world. “And so will you.”
Scott hears a rumble and asks Armor not to continue, but Savior admits that it wasn’t her doing. He explains that he won’t fight Scott. It doesn’t really make sense when the world is ending. Around them, masonry begins to fall off a building towards them. Savior explains that the planet was broken years ago in the war of human liberation. Without the energy of mutants powering the machines, the globe will split into pieces and fall into the sun. Howlett asks if he’s telling him that a few mutants are powerful enough to hold a planet together. As Cyclops blasts some more falling stone, Savior replies that actually, it takes just one.
Bystanders plead with Cyclops to save their world. Emmeline tells him that Savior has opened his mind to her. He’s telling the truth. Howlett adds that if he was lying he could smell it. Storm says that once again, this is his moment. With resigned body language, Scott makes his way to the room where the machine lies empty. Storm says she’s said goodbye to him so many times but Scott asks her not to worry. He’s sure she’ll have plenty more opportunities. Emmeline points out that he doesn’t have to do this. “Yes I do,” replies Scott. Emmeline says all right. He’s not her Scott so she doesn’t really care. But… she adds, even when she married him, she just told her Scott that she wanted to annoy her father. “I mean, I never told him… I never…” Scott turns to her and tells her that he knew. “Oh” she sighs. They have a final moment together before Scott steps inside one of the canisters.
As more rumbling is heard overhead, Savior asks him to act quickly. He needs to power the machines. Cyclops fires his beam into the machine and it kicks into life. “Bless you, my son,” says Savior. “Whatever,” replies Cyclops through gritted teeth. He then blasts the walls of the container and shatters the material. Storm’s eyes widen as she sees that he’s destroyed the machine. Scott quickly blasts Savior who snarls that he’s just killed them all. Scott tells him to find another way. Savior asks what he means. “Find another way,” shouts Scott, grabbing Savior’s costume tightly. He explains that he knows Charles Xavier and how powerful and brilliant he truly is. He knows that if he really wanted to, he could save everyone on the planet without killing thousands to do it. So, it’s his moment. “Live up to yourself,” he adds, throwing Savior to the ground.
Savior wipes his face and replies that every other incarnation of Scott gave himself over. Every other Scott Summers accepted and sacrificed himself for the greater good of the world. None would have taken this insane risk. “You’re the aberration, Scott. So that makes the next step surprisingly easy.” He then contacts Mr. Ichiki, Hisako’s father, telepathically and tells him that Hisako has fallen so his time has come. He accepts that and asks for a little time to say goodbye to the rest of his family who are in the same room. Savior replies that it won’t be necessary. They need all of them. Some of his Sanctifiers then crash through the door and open fire, killing everyone present. Hisako reels from the sudden influx of energy. Storm asks Savior what’s going on, but Emmeline informs her that Hisako’s power comes from the spirits of her ancestors. Savior has just killed her entire extended family.
Savior enters Armor’s protective shields. Storm reminds Savior that they’re supposed to save the innocents and calls him a monster. Savior replies that the monster is right beside her. He tells Scott that he is sick and asks what’s wrong with his reality. It’s like some extreme flaw in the warp and weft of his world has pushed its greatest hero over the edge. It’s extreme enough to justify what he’s about to do next. He pulls out a Ghost Box which Scott recognizes. “Dammit!” he exclaims. Savior explains that it has a few modifications. He did find another way to save this world. All he needs is enough catalytic power and an alternate reality that he can consume with a clear conscience. He turns to Hisako and asks her to use her power to activate the Ghost Box. She replies that she can’t. There’s interference. Another box. “Another box?” replies Savior, confused. “But the only other one was destroyed.”
“Bamf,” says Cyclops. Nightcrawler appears with Scott’s reality’s Storm and Emma Frost. Savior orders Armor to kill them and she strikes immediately. Ororo says that Kurt told her she was a villain in this world. Flying beside her, Ororo’s doppelganger replies, “Not today.” Emma approaches Emmeline, who is lying on the floor. “Emma Frost?” she says. “Emmeline Frost-Summers,” she replies. Emma is surprised by the hyphenated surname. Emmeline says one can only extend one’s bohemian years so far. Emma finds this rather interesting.
As Armor attacks Howlett, Scott prompts them to concentrate. Simultaneously, they ask him to relax. They have everything under control. They combine their mental powers to attack Savior. He groans and asks Hisako to kill them both. Kurt then teleports right behind him and places one of the Magneto helmets onto his head. He explains that it’s a standard issue telepathy-blocking Magneto helmet. He should trust him. He’s gonna love this next bit.
Armor looks at Savior and, having understood what he has done to her family, punches him hard with the Ghost Box. He is thrust out of her armor and then disappears into the distance. Kurt asks if anyone’s heading back to Cyclops’s world. The train is leaving the station. The Ghost Box glows and Storm asks what the problem is. Kurt replies that he only took the one elective in Interdimensional travel. But, he believes that the feedback from Savior’s Ghost Box has jacked up his. It’s activated its return protocols. Emma asks Scott to join them and Kurt asks him to hurry. His box has been through a lot and only has enough juice for one trip. Scott looks at them and thinks for a second about the predicament he’s leaving this world in. “I… I can’t,” he replies. A loud rumble shakes them and Scott says the world is broken. He stopped Savior’s plan to save it and now he has to help.
Unexpectedly, Howlett punches him, knocking him down towards Storm and Emma. “Dammit Howlett,” cries Scott, but that world’s Ororo asks him not to worry. He’s just the first person they’re saving today. Howlett grins at him from underneath the rim of his hat. He tells him to look at himself... ready to sacrifice himself after all. He admits that Scott had him worried here for a moment, but he did all right. He asks him to do him just one favor. Buy the other him a beer when he gets home. With that, the Ghost Box activates and transports them back to their own dimension.
(thirteen hours later in Utopia‘s science lab)
After checking out the Ghost Box, Dr. Nemesis informs Scott that, unfortunately, it is completely unresponsive. Danger adds that the data centers have disintegrated and they can’t find that other dimension, much less return there. Storm asks Emma what she thinks their chances are. Emma replies that Savior left behind a Cerebra filled with the working brains of a hundred alternate-universe Xavier’s. If a solution’s possible, they have the best tools to find it, assuming Savior doesn’t return to claim those heads himself. She notices Scott walking behind her and apologizes, but he asks her to stop. “They’ll be fine,” he admits. Emma asks what makes him so sure. “They’re X-Men,” he replies.
(later)
Scott fixes the lockers he destroyed earlier and uses his optic beam to flick the top off a bottle of beer. With Wolverine in New York, it’s the best he can manage at the moment. “We’re all X-Men,” he says.
