“They who have an ear, let them hear what Jean Grey declared to the people. She said that those who believe would not suffer a final death. But to Hope, the angel in Krakoa, she sent thoughts: ‘I offer you a sharp two-edged sword. I am the house where you dwell. Even beside Apocalypse’s throne, I see you. You will hold fast in my name. You will not deny faith in me, even in the days of all the futures past and futures to come, my faithful one, who will be killed in my name, where Apocalypse dwells.’”
The Book of Apocalypse (Bennet du Paris translation)
Krakoa:
Xavier talks to himself or rather something within himself. Mr. Sinister is still within him. He addresses him as he walks up the stairs to a high plateau, not quite as before, but there. During the day, Xavier is himself. But at night Sinister controlled him and made him do unspeakable things. Again. This is unacceptable. He looks the long way down. The day is ending. Xavier announces that by sunset Sinister will be gone - one way or another. He knows one way - he refers to suicide. Can Sinister provide an alternative?
The mental image of Sinister appears, apologizes and asks him not to do this. He doesn’t understand! Let him help Charles understand!
The White Hot Room, nowhere, nowhen:
Exodus and Hope Summers are facing someone who seems to be Apocalypse, holding a catatonic Jean Grey prisoner, who is trapped in her memories.
“Now and forever I am Phoenix. Now and… I thought I was dead. Waiting to come together in the White Hot Room… incubating… to be born anew… all in good time. But it’s not time, is it? Yet here I am. Am I? Something’s wrong.”
Exodus faces “Apocalypse,” who tells him they must pass or else all ends. They are the mutant chalice where the future will be wrought. Trying to protect Jean and figure things out, Hope asks what the White Hot Room is. Exodus speculates Jean has a connection to the Phoenix. She must be disassembled from being here? It is a higher realm. Spiritual. He has often thought it akin to Tiphareth from the Kabbalah.
“What kind of school is this, sir? I have a right to know.”
Apocalypse smiles approvingly at Exodus’ thoughts.
“My consciousness, my form and ability to communicate on this plane of existence – derive from you. They provide an… awareness of your dormant emotions and memories.”
Exodus and Hope begin to understand. Hope’s memories and fears gave shape to the Wolverines and Bishops attacking them, and for Exodus Apocalypse is an embodiment of Satan. “Apocalypse” states he is created from them, this is all created from them. He gets ready to attack Exodus and announces the end approaches. Exodus is testing himself: will he pass? Will he burn forever or will he be ash?
“You guys make me sick! What happened to your commitment to Professor X’s dream? All I know is I’m not going to stand around fiddling my thumbs, while our kind are totally wiped from the face of the Earth!”
Psychic energy blasting from his fists, Exodus attacks “Apocalypse” shouting that Apocalypse is his Satan - he is what he must always oppose!
However, he finds something stays his blow. Oppose, “Apocalypse” grins, not beat.
“But the fires of the Phoenix burn though lies, you understand? The gaze of the Phoenix is like an X-ray tearing through every deception.”
He begins to squeeze Exodus’ skull, announcing that Exodus believes Apocalypse is stronger than he is. Satan is greater than his faith and will always defeat him. What belief does he have that can overcome the knowledge that he is a weak knight in a futile crusade fighting for a paradise that will never last? He has hope, comes the weak reply.
Hope? he asks a moment later as they are surrounded by fiery energy and Hope sprouting wings of fire attacks Apocalypse with a fiery sword and destroys him.
“No longer am I the woman you knew. I am fire and life incarnate! Now and forever I am Phoenix!”
Hope powers down again. She was so strong, she rambles. She was connected to the force. It touched her and she could feel what Exodus felt about her and she was what he felt about her! It went in circles like an engine. She was… She thanks Exodus. She couldn’t have done it without him. The mystery of faith, he replies. They are not strong. Knowledge of that is what makes them strong. She #*$% hates philosophy, Hope replies.
Jean groans, then for a moment recognizes them and begs them to help her. She’s— then she is gone again and talks in quotes. “Jean, is the house where I live – and I am the house where Jean Grey lives. The White Hot Room is where the Phoenix lives. You’ll learn more about me, boys, in time. Hope I wasn’t too rough.”
She’s not right, Hope fears and suggests they bring Jean back to Krakoa.
“I can’t screen out everyone’s thoughts. Some of the images I am receiving are so… vile. But I can handle that. Part of me almost finds those thoughts… attractive.”
Krakoa:
Mr. Sinister clarifies that he is still in the Hole. This is the part of him inside Xavier. So, Forge’s cure didn’t work? Xavier asks. Oh, it did, he replies. Everyone else is clean, but he has older work in Xavier from the days of Project Black Womb. Sinister’s genome was able to reattach there. But it is old tech, Xavier has beaten it before. Sinister holds him by his fingertips. Xavier’s conscious mind is too much for him. So, Xavier states, he sleeps and Sinister has him murder people in the night. Only as they came to the island, Sinister defends himself. He is aware of the irony. All his planning to take over the world with the psychic powers of the great Charles Xavier, and right now it’s just his fingers he needs. He wasn’t lying when he went into the Pit. One of his peers basically becomes a god. He is working on something to fight it.
Xavier points out he would say anything to prevent Xavier killing him. So why should he believe anything he says? He shouldn’t, Sinister replies, but he is nothing. He takes off the red diamond and invites Xavier to have a look inside his mind.
Xavier enters and remarks that inner lives are beautiful things. He has walked through many. But this is cold and empty and sad. He is sorry for him. He is full of broken glass, bad jokes, memes – there is no weight to him! He is barely a paper mask!
He lifts one of the many Sinister masks lying on the ground and realizes that Sinister didn’t lie. He doesn’t have his hooks in anyone else. Just in him and, now that Xavier knows he is here, he won’t be able to take over again.
Xavier telepathically informs Emma Frost that she and the others are free from Sinister’s influence for good.
Xavier believes Sinister. He really is trying to fight that Dominion and he has no real backups, just a few homunculi who are hardly the real thing.
Xavier decides that he should trust his X-Men to fight this Dominion. Relinquishing control is what led to the death of mutantkind. He climbs onto the wall once again, ready to jump to his death and take Sinister with him.
Sinister shouts at him not to waste himself. He compares the two of them and reveals he was going to become a Dominion. A science god outside time and space, but he doesn’t. In the Red Diamond timeline, he came face to face with the Dominion and it laughed at him. It’s one of the other Sinisters. Xavier asks if he is sure. Sinister replies he recognized it as a Sinister – but not him. They have to stop it or, failing that, take it down when its godhood is still fresh. That’s what he was working on at night. He swears that, when he had a good idea, he was going to reveal himself to Xavier!
Xavier bluntly replies that Sinister was planning to take over him permanently. Sinister groans, then admits of course he was. He is Mr. Sinister! Xavier said it on the way down: he is a paper mask, he is nothing, he is the best at what he does, and what he does is really #*&% But he lost. Everything he achieved was consumed by the winner and became part of this dominion. One of the others will do it. Stasis, Orbis Stellaris or whoever the third one is. Does he think Sinister can bear that? Xavier can’t trust him, but he can trust him to want to #*&% them over!
Xavier stubbornly replies that he has looked inside him and Sinister would say anything to keep on living. Of course he would! Sinister agrees. Even tell the truth. Krakoa was a great idea. He wishes he hadn’t /&#%/ it up. He had to be a Dominion. He was compelled. He sometimes feels that he didn’t have a choice.
Xavier replies that they have to take responsibility for their actions. That’s what he is trying to do, Sinister claims, as he sits down next to him on the wall. No, he isn’t, Xavier replies. What he does comes from spite, fear and everything that is beneath them. It’s all he has, Sinister admits.
“Our paths will cross no more. My destiny lies in the stars.”
The White Hot Room:
Mother Righteous joins Destiny and informs her of Exodus and Hope’s return with Jean. Destiny muses that Jean didn’t come here. She died at the galla. Mother Righteous takes out her dagger and explains they are in the White Hot Room outside time and space. It’s why Destiny’s power isn’t working, but she is more worried about what she may have seen. Outside time and space, Destiny repeats. It can’t see her!
When Mother Righteous is about to stab her, Desitny shouts at her to stop. She is a Sinister, right? She doesn’t know what she’s…
Mother Righteous strikes her in the chest and gets ready to strike the killing blow, when Kafka comes in wanting to thank Destiny for her advice. Mother Righteous fires some magical blasts at him as he runs away.
He runs to Exodus and Hope, who have put Jean on a bed and babbles that Mother Righteous stabbed Irene. Exodus tries to calm him down whereas Hope notices something going on with Krakoa.
“Can’t help myself! I don’t want to anymore! I’m reacting to their thoughts, not their words.”
“You fear me, all of you and with good reason! What I do to this plant, I can just as easily do to you.”
Giant vines break through the ground attacking people, making Hope wonder what made Krakoa angry. As he and Hope attack the vines to free the people, Exodus opines it is Mother Righteous’ doing. She’s a witch. Do not suffer one to live! Why does he always have to be the one to compromise? Hope orders him to save it. They need to save the people!
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done – what forces you’ve set in motion?! You came to me when I was vulnerable. You filled the emotional void in me. You made me trust you – perhaps even love you and all the while, you were using me!”
Mother Righteous uses the chaos to slip into Jean’s chamber. She looks like someone who’d like to be somewhere else, she suggests. Wanna go there?
Krakoa:
Xavier skeptically looks at the small red diamond he is holding and asks what it is. Sinister in him explains he hasn’t got his full lab. He pieced a few things together, when Xavier thought he was sleeping. It’s Unus plus Tempo. Frictionless transport force-bubble. It can get them off the island and where they need to be. Is him leaving Krakoa a problem? After the diamond grows to the size of a submarine Xavier enters. He figures Shaw will stay off the island until he has settled things with the Hellfire Club. Sinister tells him that their first stop is Muir Isle.
The White Hot Room:
Mother Righteous allows Jean to lead the way and uses her chain as leash. Jean is still out of it but seems to know where she is going.
“So hard to think. Something’s missing. It’s not time yet, is it? Cold… dying? I’m never cold. And I can’t die. Can I?”
“I know your works, Krakoa. I know your faith and love and devotion and patience. I know your final works will be greatest of all. But I am displeased – you walk alongside the woman Mother Righteous, who called herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces the mutants to commit abomination and provide one to be sacrificed to a grand idol…”
(The Book of Apocalypse (Bennet du Paris translation))
