'When the Purifiers attacked, they told us to protect the humans – but not the plants. No one cared about them. Especially not the potted ones' Lin Li a.k.a. Nature Girl laments as she sits on a rock inside the seal enclosure at the Central Park Zoo. A large brown seal sits next to her and puts its nose to her face as she remarks that so many trees were shot that day, and she could smell their burnt wood for hours.
The seal whines, when suddenly, a voice exclaims 'Holy cow, Lin! You can talk?!' Eye-Boy a.k.a. Trevor Hawkins asks as he leans on the barrier surrounding the enclosure, while Nathaniel Carver stands nearby, and several civilians passing by look oddly into the enclosure. Lin stands up and starts to walk across the rocks back to the edge of the enclosure as Eye-Boy asks her why she never told him she could talk. 'Because... I never had anything to say to you' Lin replies. '... oh' Eye-Boy utters, rejected, while the seal starts to bark, as if it was laughing. Nathaniel informs “Trev” that, for future reference, he should never assume an Asian girl is mute. 'Got it' Eye-Boy replies.
Nature Girl leaps over the edge of the enclosure back onto the public walkways as Eye-Boy tells her that he and Nathaniel were just walking around, and asks if she would like to join them. 'Why?' Lin asks without looking at them. Nathaniel quietly tells Trev to relax, and suddenly, with the wooshing of the wind through the trees, Nature Girl turns from the path and walks onto a garden where some large trees are planted. Eye-Boy and Nathaniel follow her, as Eye-Boy tells her that he thought that maybe she could introduce them to some cool red pandas. 'God, this is awful' Nathaniel mutters, before Nature Girl announces that someone is in danger. Nathaniel is confused, 'Huh?' he remarks, while Eye-Boy asks Lin how she knows that. 'The trees' Lin replies. Her hand is against one of the trees as she reports that the trees say there has been an attack, inside the park.
The three young mutants run through Central Park and come to a narrow path with a small tunnel, where a body is strewn across the ground. 'Hey! Are you okay?' Eye-Boy asks as he and Nathaniel crouch down beside the motionless figure. Lin stands over the body, but as Trevor rolls the body onto its back, he and Nathaniel look shocked at the victim's appearance. Trevor calms down and tells Nathaniel that it is okay, that it is just Face, and that he is one of them. Trevor puts his ear to Face's chest and reports that he is alive, just unconscious. 'You guys call him “Face” even though he doesn't have one?' Nathaniel asks. Eye-Boy explains that his power comes out of his face, although that is also why he doesn't have one. Eye-Boy asks Lin if the trees told her who did this, and she tells him that they did not. 'Can your fir friends at least tell us what they looked like?' Lin replies that to trees, all humans look the same – dangerous.
At the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, Jono Starsmore a.k.a. Chamber is walking along the running track, when Roxy Washington a.k.a. Bling calls out to him. He stops and waits for her to catch up to him. When he sees that Bling is wearing workout clothes, he tells her that he didn't know she was a runner. Bling rests her hands on her legs as she catches her breath and explains that she just started, but that she is already up to ten miles. 'Reminds me of someone I used to know' Jono tells her. 'Huh?' Bling asks. 'Nothing' Jono replies, before asking Bling what she needed. Bling tells him that she wanted to know if there was any way she could join his class. 'My class?' Jono asks. 'If I stay with Jubilee – in the class that's only ever gonna cheer from the sidelines – I'm never going to be one of the X-Men' Bling explains. Jono looks at Roxy and tells her that he didn't know that was so important to her. 'I mean, that's the whole point of being here, isn't it?' Roxy declares. She tells Chamber that Jubilee is great and is an amazing mentor, but she thinks his class would be a better fit for her. Chamber reminds Roxy that she was chosen for Jubilee's class for a reason, and tells her that, for now, that is where she has to be.
Quentin Quire scowls as he sits on one end of the sofa in the rec room, while Benjamin Deeds a.k.a. Morph and Megan Gwynn a.k.a. Pixie sit next to him, playing a video game. 'Ha! You call that a front flip?!' Pixie exclaims. Bling enters the room and strides past the others, walking right in front of the television. They don't say anything to her, just peer around her so they can continue playing their game. 'How did you block that?' Benjamin asks. 'Unlike you, I have skills!' Pixie grins. Quentin watches Bling, before turning back to the others. 'Wait, wait – no!' Benjamin exclaims. 'Suck my Welsh rarebits, Deeds!' Pixie shouts as her fingers move furiously over the controller. 'Dammit, Megan!' Benjamin mutters. Pixie leans back on the sofa as she calls out 'What the – no, no, no! I didn't do that!' She asks why her buttons are all mashed in, as Benjamin exclaims 'Goooooal!' and Quentin grins wickedly.
'Quire! You did this, didn't you?' Pixie asks, jumping to her feet and pointing at Quentin, who tells her that he has no idea what she is buzzing on about. Holding out her controller, Pixie tells Quentin that he psychically mashed all her buttons so Benjamin could win. 'First, I've got zero interest in your buttons. Second, this unsportsmanlike conduct is very unbecoming of a future X-Man' Quentin tells Pixie, unimpressed.
'Hey, guys – we could use a little help here' Eye-Boy calls out as he enters the rec room from a door that leads outside. Nathaniel and Nature Girl are with him, while Face is draped over the back of a large deer.
Soon, Face is in a bed in the infirmary, while Danielle Moonstar checks his vitals, Chamber asks her how Face is. Lin, Trevor, Quentin, Benjamin and Nathaniel stand a few feet away, with Jubilee, who holds her son, Shogo. Moonstar reports that Face is unconscious and weak, but that she doesn't see a death glow. She adds that they will still need to run some tests, but Face should be okay.
'You didn't see anything?' Jubilee asks her students. Nathaniel informs her that Face was alone by the time they got there. Trevor explains that they only reason they even knew to look for him was because Lin heard something about an attack from some trees. 'Trees like to gossip' Lin reveals. Trevor suggests to Quentin that he could scan Face's memories and tell them what happened. 'He's blind, deaf and mute. I'd get as much out of his pitch-black mindscape as I get talking to you. Nothing' Quentin declares.
Quentin then remarks 'But you know who could pain you a picture – this creeper' and points at Nathaniel, explaining that he read Nathaniel's mind after he used his powers on him, and informs the others that Nathaniel took a full-on third-party POV tour of his memories. 'You see more detail in a person's memory than they do? How does that make sense?' Benjamin asks. Quentin grins as he tells Benji not to hurt himself over-thinking. 'Most powers don't' he adds. Nathaniel tells everyone that it doesn't matter, because he is not doing it. 'You all may be okay with invading everyone's brains without their permission, but I'm not. I'm not touching anyone!' he exclaims. Nature Girl stands nearby with her arms folded and Jubilee frowns at Quentin as he tells him 'Of course not. Why would you? It's not like learning how to control your power is the entire reason you're here!' 'Quentin!' Jubilee snaps. She announces that Nathaniel doesn't have to do anything he doesn't wanna do. 'He's here to work at his pace, not yours' she points out. 'Pfft. If at all' Quentin mutters, throwing a hand into the air and walking away from the others.
Shortly, Jubilee, with Shogo, Moonstar and Chamber meet with Kitty Pryde in her office. Moonstar informs her that they have done a head count and all students are accounted for. Kitty thanks Dani, and tells the others that she hates this, but that until they know what has happened, they may have to enact a curfew. Kitty turns to Chamber and tells him that since Face is his student, she assumes he will be going out to investigate. 'Yes, with Lee' Chamber replies, when suddenly, Shogo sneezes. Jubilee points out that it sounds like Shogo is catching a cold, so she better not go out. Dani offers to go with Jono, and he tells her that is fine with him. Kitty instructs them to let her know what they find, and as Moonstar and Chamber leave Kitty's office, Chamber turns to Jubilee and suggests to her that she might want to have a talk with Roxy, as something is not right there.
'How does this place have so many stairs and exactly zero ramps – when it's named after a guy in a wheelchair?' Nathaniel asks as he helps Andre the janitor carry a bucket of water up some steps. Benjamin sees them and tells Nathaniel that he has been looking for him everywhere, before informing him that Face finally woke up. 'And?' Nathaniel asks. Andre thanks Nathaniel as they set the bucket of water down in the corridor, and Nathaniel tells him that it was no problem, and reminds him that tomorrow morning he is showing him how to play Enchantment: The Conjuring. 'Okay' Andre replies. Nathaniel points a finger at Benjamin and declares 'This is the part where you convince me to use my powers on Face, right?' to which the surprised Benjamin tells Nathaniel that he thought he would want to know that Face is doing better. 'Since you found him and all' Benjamin adds. 'Dammit. I'm such an ass' Nathaniel mutters, putting a hand on his face. Benjamin tells him not to worry about it, that it is cool. 'And I get it. The first few weeks here suck the hardest' he remarks.
Benjamin continues, revealing to Nathaniel that he got kicked through the mud, had his cover blown inside a SHIELD compound and ran from dinosaurs and aliens. 'Is this a school or a death wish?' Nathaniel gasps. 'It's kinda hard to tell sometimes' Benjamin tells Nathaniel, adding that it gets easier – or you get used to it. Benjamin adds that even guys like Andre adjust, and points out that Andre is human. 'Huh? No, he's not. Andre's a mutant' Nathaniel reveals. He remembers images that flashed through his mind when they touched – Andre battling Wolverine, and events that happened afterwards. Nathaniel reveals that Andre was a street kind without any training who never fully understood his telekinetic powers, or how they affected other people, and it got him lobotomized. Andre washes the floor, seemingly oblivious to the conversation going on around him.
Nathaniel reveals that seeing Andre's past, feeling his brain getting scrambled, that is why he stayed, so hr could learn how to protect himself. He admits that he is a jerk for judging a book by its cover, especially when he doesn't have one, but it looks like he will be a hell of a dark read. 'Hold up. You actually feel the memories?' Benjamin asks. Nathaniel explains that it is more like experiencing them, and that it stops when he breaks contact – but he doesn't forget. 'So if you touch Face...' Benjamin begins. 'I'd get a lot more out of it than just seeing who attacked him' Nathaniel confirms. Benjamin assures Nathaniel that it is okay, that they will find another way. 'Or they will, since we've been benched' he adds. 'What if they don't? And someone else gets hurt?' Nathaniel suggests. Benjamin tells him that it wouldn't be his fault. 'Wouldn't it, though?' Nathaniel asks. He leans against a wall and folds his arms as he declares 'I hate his smug face and “real men wear pink” mowhawk, but...Quentin was right'. He remarks that if he isn't willing to use his powers now, to actually help someone – when will he?
Soon, Quentin, Benjamin, Roxy and Lin stand behind Nathaniel as he removes a glove and asks 'And he's sure that this is what he wants?' Trevor is sitting at Face's side. Face taps his fingers on Trevor's hand and Trevor announces “Yes”. 'And he wants us to “find the -” uh...several very creative expletives “that did this”' Trevor reports. 'Preferably before I stab myself in the eye outta boredom' Quentin mutters. 'Yeah, well, hopefully I won't do the same out of horror' Nathan remarks as he stands next to Face. 'If I'm lucky. Which I'm not...' Nathaniel adds as he puts his hand to Face's wrist.
Images flash through Nathaniel’s mind, firstly of Face as a baby, kidnapped with several others, where a soldier declared that they would be weapons, their positive X-gene made them the best chance for a solution to the mutant problem. Nathaniel sees Face's mutant power activate, then scientists attach a firing mechanism to his face, before he was used in the soldiers’ war against the New Mutants, followed by Karma teaching him, then leaving him at the school, as she thought it was the best place for him to be. Face looked dejected when Karma left him at the school, and finally, several students watched him, and one of the students revealed that she wasn't sure where, but that she sees him go for a walk every day – alone. Nathaniel sees Face on his walk, a strange black mass appears behind Face, then overwhelmed him. Face fell to the ground, while the mysterious black mass disappeared into the cracks within the pavement.
'WHOA' Nathaniel utters, stepping backwards away from Face. Benjamin asks him if he is okay, to which Nathaniel replies that he doesn't know, but thinks so. 'But Face...he...' Nathaniel utters, before leaning back into Face and giving him a hug. Face taps on Nathaniel's back with his fingers, and Nathaniel smiles, 'No, thank you' he tells Face. 'Now you know, Nathaniel...if you could just get to the part where you tell us what you saw, the rest of us could get on with our lives' an exasperated Quentin mutters. The six young mutants gather together, and Nathaniel announces that whatever it was, it wasn't human, and that it went underground. 'What, you mean, like, into the sewers?' Trevor asks. 'Caves' Lin declares. 'There are caves under Central Park?' Benjamin asks.
Trevor heads to the door and informs the others that he will let Jubilee know, but Roxy steps in front of him and tells him not to. 'You tell her and we'll get left behind' Roxy points out. Nathaniel agrees, and suggests to the others that they do this themselves. 'I'm the one who saw it and lived it' he reminds the others, announcing that there is no way he is not going. 'Maybe you don't suck as much as I thought' Quentin tells Nathaniel, while Benjamin reminds him that he just said it wasn’t even human. Roxy puts an arm around Nathaniel and tells Benjamin that he will be fine, that she and Quentin will watch his back. Trevor grins and tells the others that if they are going to break out after curfew, they will need him – to see all the security blind spots and stuff. 'And I enjoy caves' Lin reveals. 'That settles it. Benji – you're in!' Quentin declares, pointing at Benjamin. 'What? I -' Benjamin begins. 'Don't wanna be left behind. We know' Quentin jokes.
Soon, under the glow of the moon, the young mutants – Quentin, wearing his suit, Bling, wearing her own white and brown version of the students' X-Men costume, Nature Girl wearing her school uniform, Benjamin Deeds in his blue and orange X-Men costume, Nathaniel wearing an X-jacket with a large yellow “X” across it, and Eye-Boy, wearing large yellow knee pads, gloves and a yellow harness similar to what Cyclops used to wear over his blue clothes – step off the Xavier Institute grounds and out into Central Park, and Quentin exclaims 'All right, losers. Let's get this #$%& show on the road!'
