Scimitar has captured the daughter of Zanzibar’s vice-president and threatens to kill the girl if the gathered heroes from Genosha and Zanzibar’s president do not surrender. Karima recognizes Scimitar from his Interpol file and identifies him as a terrorist for hire.
Vice-President Umbaja asks his friend and president to forgive him for putting them in this position but he could not bear to put his daughter’s life at risk. President Baraka says that he understands just as he knows his vice-president will understand why he must continue to fight for his country’s freedom. With that said, Baraka and Karima both attack Scimitar and his men.
As Scimitar is hit by Askari’s energy blasts, Umbaja’s daughter Taniqa scratches him across the face, forcing him to release her wrist. She makes a run for it. The Weaponeers prepare to fire on the girl and her father lunges in and takes the shot intended for his little girl. Scimitar recovers quickly and vows to make Taniqa pay in kind for drawing his blood.
Askari and Karima are back-to-back and fighting off the Weaponeers with all they’ve got. Karima has sprouted weapons all over her body, forcing the Weaponeers to take cover behind a wall. Karima fires a volley of spiked darts from her fingertips, which carves a hole in the wall, causing it to collapse on the troops who are hiding behind it. One of the remaining troops throws a grenade over the wall and Karima dives onto it to protect Askari from the blast.
Meanwhile, Taniqa is pulled into the shadows by a silvery arm as she is running from the Weaponeers. As the guards enter the shadowed area, Husk emerges in a metallic form and swiftly takes them down. Before she can join the others, Scimitar arrives. She confronts him head-on and notes that she’s also read the briefing on him and his past defeats. He comments that he was young when he first faced Iron Fist in London and has honed his craft since then. He slashes Husk with his energy sword and she is surprised that he manages to cut through her armored form. He says that he has also read up on the X-Men and knows how best to defeat them. With a flash, Husk is forced to change to her default form and is left naked and helpless before Scimitar as he gloats.
Elsewhere, the Weaponeers’ main skyship hovers over the action, having secured its position following a frontal attack by the telekinetic Shola Inkose. Scimitar reports in to the Commander that he has captured President Baraka, Karima and Husk. He also reports that the other mutants and Viper are believed to be dead. The Commander is pleased at this turn of events, but orders continuing patrols and a search for the bodies of the fallen heroes and Viper.
Under the rubble, both Viper and Callisto lay claim to Archangel who is busy holding the roof above them from collapsing. Warren expresses his disbelief that they’re fighting over him during such a perilous moment. Viper says he should be on her side, considering that Callisto crucified him once upon a time. Archangel reminds her that she’s tried to kill the X-Men plenty of times herself.
Both Callisto and Viper continue to drool over the winged X-Man, who is more interested in finding out the truth about Viper’s presence in Zanzibar. She plays coy and mentions only that conquest is the best part of being a ruler. Callisto warns her to take “Wings” off her list and inquires about the Weaponeers. Viper replies that they are so old-fashioned, focusing on looting the treasury and picking out slaves. Archangel is in disbelief that such practices continue and Callisto warns him that mutants being turned into slaves is a reality in this economically driven world.
Their debate on the topic is cut short as the roof starts to crumble and Warren loses his leverage. He calls on Viper and Callisto to help him prevent a complete cave-in. As the three try to come up with a plan, Shola arrives and telekinetically carves a path of escape for them.
Once on the surface, Archangel lays out a plan to deal with the Weaponeers and asks for Viper’s help since she was double-crossed by them. Aboard the Weaponeers’ ship, Viper presents Shola and Callisto as her prisoners. Scimitar greets her and tells her she should have died when she had the chance. He then orders the Weaponeers to seize her. As they move in, Archangel takes the ship by surprise and shatters the main window of the bridge with a sledgehammer. As he wades through the soldiers, the Commander orders his men to execute their prisoners. As he says this, Callisto and the others spring into action. Husk challenges Scimitar to a rematch, despite being stuck in her human form. Viper directs Shola to fire a maximum force blast, which leaves him spent, but severely cripples the airship. Archangel grabs the Commander and forces him to surrender and order his men to do the same.
Scimitar refuses to comply and insists on continuing his duel with Husk, stating that honor demands he claim her life. She attacks him first and seizes one of his swords, he retaliates and slices her through the stomach. She goes down but when he moves in for the kill, Viper shoots him in the back. She remarks that when you “betray Viper… you pay the price”.
Later that week, President Baraka holds a special ceremony to honor Zanzibar’s allies from Genosha as well as Husk and Archangel. He notes that he hopes this is the start to positive human/mutant relations in his nation.
Paige notes to Warren that Callisto is still making eyes at him. He replies that she should relax and that he can handle Callisto. Husk changes the subject and notes that Viper isn’t there.
In a nearby room, Vice-President Umbaja makes a deal with Courtney Ross to fund the restoration efforts in Zanzibar. This is just as she planned. With their deal, she now has access to the Weaponeers’ equipment and an alliance with President Baraka, which she hopes will lead to her bank assisting in similar efforts in Genosha. Her plan is to lay claim to Genosha through financial means and influence, a form of control that the Hellfire Club is all too familiar with. Once Genosha is under her thumb, she feels she can lay claim to the world.
It is a rainy night in Greenwich Village at the home of Doctor Stephen Strange. There is a knock on the door and Dr. Strange’s manservant Wong wonders who would be calling on such a horrible night. Dr. Strange answers the door, already aware that it is the astral form of Charles Xavier that has come calling.
Xavier has come to ask for Strange’s help in treating the shattered mind of Wanda Maximoff. He has run out of ideas and realizes that her spirit needs as much care as her mind. Strange cryptically replies that hers is not the only spirit in need of care. Xavier asks what he means. Strange notes that both Wanda and her father, Magneto wield primal forces of creation and that Xavier cannot help but be influenced by them. He notes that Xavier is also in pain and turmoil. Xavier looks into his reflection and thinks of his stepbrother the Juggernaut and wishes he could deal with the world by physically lashing out as he does.
Strange replies that Wanda cannot be healed in isolation and that in order to help her, all those around her must be healed. Xavier insists that he is fine, but Dr. Strange says that it is time that the great teacher learns a few things himself. Xavier says that he does not know where to begin. Strange transforms into his sorcerer’s garb and says that Xavier has just asked the right question and their work can begin.
