Emma Frost, the co-head mistress of her Massachusetts school, is seen marching through the building ignoring all the greetings her students give to her upon passing. She stops once inside her office and closes the door while staring blankly through her black sunglasses for a few moments. Suddenly she lashes out at her desk in a burst of anger making papers, a lamp, and various other office supplies fly everywhere.
As she comments to herself “that’s better,” Sean Cassidy knocks on the door and enters wanting to discuss with Emma the changes that will happen to the school. Completely ignoring Sean, she storms out of her office. Sean is left looking at the mess in her office wondering what is going on with Emma.
Meanwhile in the dormitory, Jubilee and Skin are outside their friend, Jonathan Starsmore’s, dorm discussing their plan to cheer him up because of the recent events of a psi-wave immobilizing any person’s psychic abilities. This is especially disheartening for Jono considering telepathy is his only means of communication.
They enter to find Jono moping on his bed. Jubilee starts to encourage Jono to join her and skin for a game of basketball outside further stating that skin doesn’t believe that Jono is any good at the game. Skin taunts Jono further by stating that everyone knows limeys can’t jump. Despite Jubilee pressing further, Jono is unresponsive and Skin tells Jubilee to just to leave him alone for now.
Outside Jono’s room, Jubilee doesn’t understand why Jono and Emma are acting so strange today. Skin retorts that possibly if Husk wasn’t away visiting family, she could get through to him considering the feelings they have for each other. He further comments that perhaps this is tougher for Jono than everyone thinks considering he has always considered himself a freak, but now he is a mute one as well. Skin concludes that either way he misses something, Jono sadly sits looking at a picture of Husk.
Elsewhere on campus, Gaia catches Synch in the hallway drinking from a water fountain and starts up a conversation thanking him for saving her from the universal amalgamator. She continues stating that while she is adjusting to her new life she thanks him for making her feel more comfortable and that he is nice to be around. Everett smiles lightheartedly replying that it was nothing really. As she begins to leave Gaia responds, “If that was ‘nothing’, you’ll have to show me ‘something’ sometime” as Everett sighs, feeling a little love struck.
In the school gym Emma is shown furiously training on a punching bag seemly taking out all her frustration at it while grunting loudly. She is interrupted by clapping as she sees Sean in the room. He compliments her on the show, reassuring her she does not need the practice considering how badly she defeated him the other day. Emma angrily tells Sean to leave, further lamenting that she does not want to be consoled and she is not one to cry. Sean retorts that he is not one to scare so they seem to be at a stalemate. Emma gives the punching bag a hard left kick as she counters, “Do you think I’m kidding, Sean?”
On the campus grounds M is holding a Polaroid picture of the Bio-Sphere as she bombards Artie and Leech with questions on where exactly it went. Synch enters assuring the two youngsters not to worry too much because he figures that Bianca stole the Bio-Sphere due to her advance alien technology. As Artie uses his mutant abilities to mentally bring up a picture of Bianca, M immediately voices her distaste on such an absurd theory. She explains that if she truly had that level of technology, Generation X wouldn’t have defeated her so easily. Leech interrupts concluding that since the Bio-Sphere appears to have been eaten that Galactus must have been behind it. He explains further that Franklin Richard told them about Galactus and his history as Artie projects an image of Galactus’s face. Both Everett and Monet disregard their speculation.
As Artie and Leech leave, Monet turns to Everett asking him how all his little friends are. Everett informs her of Jubilee’s and Skin’s attempt to cheer up Jono and further presses why Monet asked in such a wise-cracking manner. Monet folds her arms and explains that she finds it interesting that while Jono gets all the sympathy for his loss of telepathy, nobody has shown any condolences towards her, to which the same thing has occurred. She comments that while she will regret saying this next thing later on, her feelings are a little hurt due to this. Everett stands there silently for a moment almost in disbelief as he then asks Monet if she wanted a hug or something. Monet snobbishly dismisses the attempt and walks off.
Back in the training room, Sean examines the damage of Emma’s last punch as sand pours out from the newly created whole in the punching bag. Sean concludes that this behavior has something to do with her powers to which Emma barks back “Of course it’s about my powers, you simpleton.” She continues ranting that unlike him she did not grow up having the luxury of her powers being trained for good purposes. She had to use them for survival, for herself. She affirms that without her powers she feels deaf, dumb, and blind. Sean tries to console her by mentioning that he too lost his powers for a long period and understands the anger that comes with it. Emma angrily raises her punching glove at him yelling at him to shut up, that she wants to hear nothing about his loss, this is about her.
It is at this point that Everett nervously walks in, apologizing for interruption but that he and Monet were wondering where everyone was going to train now that the Bio-Sphere has disappeared. Emma coldly replies not to worry about it. As Everett tries to persist, she irritably reminds him to not make her repeat herself. Everett leaves sarcastically muttering to himself that the reason he likes this school is because of its nice, tender, nurturing environment.
Emma turns her attention back to Sean with her hands on her hips lecturing Sean that unlike him she is defined by her powers. She tells him of her frustration the other day with Gaia in the kitchen where for brief moments she believed her power had returned. Sean defiantly stands still declaring that he has had enough of her nonsense. He wraps up by making the offer that she should hit him.
Outside the training room doors we see Monet, Gaia, Penance, Jubilee, Skin, and Synch all putting their ears to it trying to make out words through the large amount of noise that is filtering through into the hall. Monet claims that with her super hearing she heard Mr. Cassidy say “don’t you realize you love me.” To which Jubilee counters that she does not have super hearing. As they begin to bicker the rest of the students give a big “ssssshhhh!” as they intently try and listen in.
Sean blocks a roundhouse kick from Emma as they spar in a ring. Sean taunts Emma by commenting that she must be mad for he has seen her do much better. Emma tells Sean to keep talking for soon she will gag him with his own spleen. While dodging her every move Sean points out that once she gets all this frustration out of her system they can finally talk. Ducking from a high kick he asks if she is tired yet. Emma stops commenting that he is getting tired of him.
Sean confronts Emma telling her she has played many roles throughout her life. Pointing his glove at her he lists she’s been a corporate raider, a villain, a hero, and a mentor. He goes on saying that the one thing she has always been is a survivor and he never thought losing her powers would change that. With his glove he taps her face with condescension as he mockingly adds “Guess I was wrong.”
Emma explodes with an attack blasting at Sean how dare he and lets out an all out scream of aggravation as psychic energy seems to expel out of her.
As she lies silent for a second on the floor as Sean comes to see if she is okay and notices she is crying. As he holds her up, Emma’s face is full of joy and tears as she tells Sean her powers are back. Caught up in the moment they embrace for a moment before realizing what they were actually doing and break apart awkwardly.
Sean helps pull Emma up while telling her that her powers came back as soon as realized she didn’t need them. Emma returns to her usually self, queries whether she is suppose to owe him something for this little “gem” of information. Before Banshee can agree, Emma interrupts telling him she does and proceeds to try and punch him as Sean blocks the sneak attack. Sean slowly pulls her fist down commenting that while he has let Emma get away with a lot of things these past few days to not push it. Emma walks off nonchalantly replying that now that her powers have returned he better remember to shield his thoughts again.
Back outside the room, everyone is pressing their ears against the door struggling to hear anything from inside. They hear a familiar telepathic voice ask them what they are doing as Chamber stands behind them confused. They instinctively “sshh” him and continue listening in taking them a few seconds to realize Jono can talk again. They ask him when he got his powers back to which Jono replies a couple days ago. Skin is shocked and asks why he hasn’t said anything before now? Chamber responds that he simply didn’t feel like talking.
The rest of kids can’t believe Jono’s morose explanation but hug him anyway glad to have him back. Sean enters pleased to see Jono up and moving again and tells everyone to move outside because Emma has some news. As they sit outside Emma informs them that while the Bio-Sphere is missing the most important fact is that Bianca is gone with it as well. She goes on announcing that Gaia is officially enrolled in the school and everyone will be receiving uniforms. She stands in front of them confirming “that’s right, kids, starting tomorrow, everything changes.”
