First story :
Husk wakes up screaming in a cold sweat in disbelief of the events that have just recently unfolded. She is thoroughly convinced that it was all a terrible nightmare. She hears a presence at the door and turns startlingly to see Chamber, with his bottom jaw and chest cavity fully intact. Husk hugs him, telling him frantically about her nightmare. He offers to sing her a song much to her confusion since he doesn't have a guitar with him. Amazingly, one materializes out of nowhere and Jono begins to sing Paige his song.
The music floats outside to the ears of a little girl sitting on top of Synch's shoulders, much to her disliking. Another little child runs up to Everett and asks him if he knows that his day camp is on a rusted-out ship in the middle of the ocean, to which he replies no. Jubilee beckons Everett to show him the sign that she has made for Camp Jubilee. They draw closer, discussing how they have turned their lives around since their near death experience. Everett puts his arm around Jubilee and they kiss deeply, receiving a chorus of various disgusted replies from the children.
On the deck above, Monet sits with her brother, Marius, by her side, watching the spectacle. She asks him if he prefers this current scenario to the pain and suffering of his life as Emplate. He concedes to her point, but asks her why she chose her current "incarnation" if she could have anything that she wants. She replies that she enjoys it, considering the alternative. A football slams into Marius' head, revealing his true temper, as he mutters about having the ship deck stacked with dead mutants if it was his fantasy. Two of the children from Camp Jubilee ask Marius for their ball back, to which he obliges. He turns to his sister and asks her if they ever were that cute. Some of us still are, she replies.
Behind them tied to a pole, Skin hangs naked with his head down. He raises his glaring eyes to look at his tormentor.
In the secluded complex of Operation: Zero Tolerance, Jubilee sits restrained in the floor, gazing off into space. The door opens and a silhouetted figure enters, carrying a tray. Jubilee looks up to see that it is Daria, with a plate of food. She holds out a spoon of peas, telling her that it has been two days and she needs to eat. As a measure of good faith, she eats the peas herself, telling Jubilee that it is safe. Jubilee coldly asks Daria how she could be so crazy as to be in the Zero Tolerance program and how she could be so mean? Daria stammers and then leaves the room, once more pleading with Jubilee to eat.
Back on the ship, our mysterious benefactor tends to the last member of the team, Skin. He is bound to a pole in the center of the ship, his skin dripping off of his body. He asks Skin if there is a problem to which he sarcastically replies. Our mystery man reveals himself to be Glorian, Shaper of Dreams. He tells Skin about his past and how he only fulfills the dreams of those he deems worthy, so Skin must choose something that he desires.
Skin tells Glorian that these so-called dreams are not what the team really desires: Synch wants to make a difference, not baby-sit, Chamber wants to be loved for who he is, not what he used to be, Husk does not want to be taken care of and Monet just wants to belong. Skin accuses Glorian that he did not dig deep enough to find out what they were truly like, possibly because he was afraid that he could not fulfill their real dreams. Glorian defends himself by explaining what he has done: Monet was given a true sense of oneness and received the fantasy version of her brother, Chamber is whole, Synch is the group care-giver and is cared about by Jubilee, and Husk can finally stop trying so hard at everything. He also believes that Skin might know his teammates better than he does. Glorian offers Skin one last chance to get what he desires, but Skin tells him that he does not want anything.
Skin then continues, by telling Glorian that even though he has many problems that could be fixed: his appearance, being able to see his family again, making the world a safe place for mutants, but he does not need to live in a fantasy world to make his life feel worthwhile. Glorian's temper flares out of control at his disbelief, undoing everything that he had painstakingly done for the team. Glorian then turns on Skin, demanding that he request something of him, to which Skin replies.
Skin wakes up in front of the Academy with his fully restored friends by his side. Skin had received what he had truly desired, a sense of self, his friends, and a home.
Second Story :
(flashback)
Banshee stands at the base of Krakoa, the living island, looking up at the ensnared bodies of the original X-Men.
(present)
Emma sifts through his memories, marveling at how emotionally sensitive he was for a non-empath. Sean says that the only thing that he finds exciting about the mind scan is that he will find out where the Gen X kids are. Sean believes that Black Tom sent the children to Krakoa.
In White Queen's private jet, Banshee explains to Emma about Krakoa and shares his worries with her about the team. Emma worries that the team was separated and that they are "flying blind" with the belief that they are together. Emma spills her guilty conscience to Sean, wishing that they had the power to protect their children. Banshee looks at the sleeping Penance and asks Emma if they are doing the right thing by the children, if they have corrupted their lives in some way or if there is a better life for them somewhere else. Emma firmly disagrees and turns away from Sean to hide her tears. Sean asks her why she is crying and she says that she has been in this same situation before with the Hellions. Emma finds it amusing that two adult, who were charged with caring for so many children, can hardly take care of themselves. Sean and Emma share a hug, followed by an awkward moment.
Emma's pilot interrupts them to show them something below them in the water. A large ship has been raised from the water and there are no life forms aboard. Suddenly, a broken distress call blares over the radio. Banshee recognizes it as the voice of Cyclops. Emma and Sean decide that since they can get a trace on the signal and they have no leads on where the kids are, that they will go and help the X-Men.
In the New Mexico desert, Daria goes in once more to check on Jubilee. It has been almost two weeks since she has been captured and she has not been eating. Jubilee is lying on the floor next to her tray of food and Daria kneels down next to her. Daria apologizes to her for everything that has been done to her and everything that will be done to her friends from the information that was extracted from her memories. Jubilee suddenly springs to life and blasts Daria with a full dose of pyrotechnics. Daria cowers in the corner and Jubilee shows concern for her, even though she is extremely angry. Jubilee thinks that she only used enough power to stun Daria and is worried that she did some damage. Daria replies “more than you could never know,” as technological organisms that were buried deep within her body spring forth to attack the person who harmed them. The nanotech defense system swarms over to Jubilee, engulfing and subduing her.
