Apoth boasts that he knows where God lives – and states that God lives in the moment a gunshot ends a life, that God lives in the first breath of a child being born, and that both moments are equal, neither good nor evil. Apoth believes that God cannot consider morality, as God is purpose itself. Apoth then claims that he is God – God made by man, to make men as God. 'And I am so lonely. So lonely. Perhaps that is why... I keep leading her to me'.
Under the cover of night, in a village in Brazil where a slave labor camp has been established, Kwannon, now known as Psylocke, Laura Kinney a.k.a. X-23 and the teenage Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable look up at a huge piece of Overclock weaponry that looms over them, and Apoth tells himself that Psylocke is the mother of God. He decides that soon he will tell her how she created him, and soon, she will serve her child.
'This won't take long' Cable tells the others as he readies his weapon, then leaps into the air, towards the large Overclock machine looming before him, he fires his weapon, but one of the machine's many tendrils react, and slams against Cable, knocking him away. The Overclock machine then turns its attention on X-23 and Psylocke, who shouts 'Move!' as she pushes Laura out of harm's way as the machine opens fire. The women take shelter behind a nearby jeep, and Laura thanks Psylocke, who remarks that Laura was looking at Cable. 'He was getting slapped out of the air' Laura replies. Psylocke waves a finger at Laura as she tells her to never take her attention from the enemy – no matter what. 'Mmhmm' Laura replies, while the Overclock machine lumbers towards them, firing more energy blasts to the ground.
Psylocke points out that Laura wanted a lesson in anger, and suggests that this is a fine time. Psylocke remarks that Laura represses a lot, she can see that, and tells her to stop, as they have an enemy that deserves her rage. 'So give it what it deserves' Psylocke suggests. She takes Laura's hand and tells her that she never has to hide what she is from her. 'Do you understand?' Psylocke asks. 'Yeah, I get it' Laura replies. 'Then go' Psylocke tells her, as Laura pops her claws, and leaps up, running across the ground, dodging the weapons’ fire from the Overclock machinery, she then leaps up onto the machine and starts to slash away at it. The machine uses a tendril to knock Laura away, but she twists her body around and clings onto the machine, before she starts to hack away at it again with her claws.
'Beautiful' Psylocke utters as she watches Laura take the machine down. 'How'd that feel?' Psyocke calls out as Laura stands on the now lifeless machine. 'Pure' Laura replies. 'Sweat' she adds as she sniffs the air, realizing there is life somewhere, she hacks away at another part of the machine. 'Wait!' Psylocke calls out as she raises her psi-knife and blocks Laura's claws from attacking the remains of the machine again. Inside those remains, a young boy is huddled, and looks up at the women, speaking in Portuguese, he looks frightened. Psylocke asks Laura if she speaks Portuguese, and Laura informs Psylocke that the boy is saying “Don't kill me. Please don't kill me”. 'Tell him we won't' Psylocke instructs Laura, who speaks to the boy in his native language. Psylocke crouches near the boy and points out that they need to know what happened to him and the other children. 'Tell him not to be scared' she asks Laura, as psychic energy manifests around her finger. Laura speaks to the boy again in Portuguese, before Psylocke touches the boy's head, 'Show me what you've seen' she utters, before gasping 'My God...'
Miles away, Cable is strung up from some vines where he landed after being knocked away by the Overclock weapons. 'Not my finest moment' Cable mutters, before one of the vines holding him up snaps, and he plummets from the tree tops, he hits the ground hard, and turns suddenly when he hears a voice calling his name. Cable picks up his gun and walks through the jungle, 'Let me tell you about the future... our future... together...' a voice calls out, and Cable looks up to see a shadowy figure hovering amongst the trees before him. Cable opens fire, and radios Psylocke and X-23 to report that he has a trace of something. A glowing light appears above Cable, and he looks up to it, as some sort of dart is fired into the back of head. 'Apoth is the water for those lost in the desert. He is the end of pain. And war. And individuality. Behold the peace of the One-Mind. Let its light cleanse you' the voice utters, as Cable stare into the light, frozen, unable to move.
Psylocke, wide-eyed, reports that Apoth's forces took the children, she sees a vision of the Overclock weapons snatching children from their parents, and states that they are alive, that she can track them – it isn't too late. In the vision, the parents are struck down, and a baby screams. Psylocke calls out to Laura, who pops her claws as she drops to the ground. 'Cable – where are you?' Laura asks. Psylocke turns away from the Overclock machine and informs Laura that the boy is dead, but it wasn't them – the boy couldn't survive without the machine. Laura reports that Cable is missing. 'I can try and track him. We might be able to -' Laura begins, but Psylocke interrupts her, announcing that the village children are still alive, and that they are going to set them free. 'Children... why is it always children?' Psylocke asks. 'Because this Apoth knows what you've lost. It knows how to hurt you' Laura replies.
'Somehow this is all about you, Psylocke. Apoth. Overclock. All of it. But we have to find Cable -' Laura begins, to which Psylocke narrows her eyes and declares that Cable can take care of himself, but these children need them – and now. Laura assures Psylocke that she hates all this as much as she does, and reminds her that she was a child turned into a weapon, she gets it. 'But Cable risked his life -' she begins, as Psylocke interrupts: '- to do this. And he would want us to finish the fight'. Psylocke suggests that Apoth might have taken Cable and killed him, or not, and that means they have time. 'I don't understand any of this!' Laura exclaims, adding that she feels like they are dancing to Apoth's rhythm. 'And we can't!' she exclaims. Psylocke asks Laura what choice they have, and states that she was given a vision to stop this, and right now that is the only purpose she has. 'I have no place in Krakoa' Psylocke declares.
Psylocke hangs her head as she remarks that she doesn't even have her own name. 'I don't...I have this war. This enemy' Psylocke points out. 'And you have me. You're right. Cable would want us to finish the fight' Laura replies, before asking Psylocke which way the children were taken. 'North' Psylocke announces, to which Laura tells her that they will go north.
Elsewhere, a now shirtless Cable is restrained to a large circular device, shrouded in shadow as a voice utters 'Clarity is coming, I promise. You'll know your part in this, Nathan'. The voice then claims that they are not Apoth, but that they serve him. 'You are machine. Man. Mutant. The word for that is unity'. A floating mass of mechanical parts and human bones moves into view, the servant's robotic voice announces that unity is all they want. 'The end of technology. The end of mutants. The end of humanity. The end of difference itself...'
