David Haller’s mindscape:
David Haller aka Legion sits in a comfortable, if somewhat askew, living room, in a comfy chair reading a book. “David?” Charles Xavier asks carefully and asks his estranged son to join him outside. David is hesitant. He doesn’t think he is supposed to leave his room. He is not a prisoner, Xavier assures him. That was never their intention. In fact, they’ve been working on a way to make his illness more manageable. Caesarea Umm Quais, he announces. “Password accepted,” a voice replies. “Persona brig access granted.”
A shining doorway appears in the room. Persona brig, that’s where the bad ones are, David states nervously, isn’t that dangerous? Xavier leads him through, explaining they are much less dangerous than what’s going on outside David’s mind. They need his help? David asks. They need more than him, Xavier replies. They need a Legion. They arrive in the brig, where all of David’s personas – each with their own superpower, are held, each in their separate cell.
Outside, Utopia:
Cyclops addresses the mutants present, telling them this concerns everyone. Every five minutes, another wave of Nimrods comes through the portal at the Golden Gate Bridge. This is what it takes to stop one of them, he points at the damage. The fact is they are coming through faster than the X-Men can handle them. And it’s not going to end. Since he was a boy, he fought for the day when mutants would have the choice to live however they wanted. This is not that day. Today, each of them will face a future of mutant extinction. There is no hiding from this. Neither they nor he have a choice in the matter. Today, they are all combatants. Today, they are all X-Men! Fight or die!
Inside one of the buildings, Rogue finds the dejected Hope. The young girl apologizes for crying. He wouldn’t like it that she’s crying. Is that what Cable told her? Rogue asks hesitantly. That she shouldn’t cry? No, Hope explains. They saw a lot of war while they were away. Sometimes she got hurt. Cable never cared if she cried. But he did have a rule: She grabs a big gun from the armory. Win first. Cry later.
Rogue reminds Hope she is supposed to take her into hiding. If she has to be a “messiah,” the girl replies, she won’t be the type who lets people die for her. Not while she does nothing! She promised Scott she wouldn’t let her get hurt, Rogue explains. Then come with her, Hope replies. Rogue smile and follows her.
In the tunnels in San Francisco, Husk, Sunspot, Boom Boom and Avalanche are fighting one Nimrod. Boom Boom fires a timebomb at it and Avalanche uses his earthmoving powers to separate it from them. Surprised, Boom Boom notices Roberto is bleeding. He is strong but not invuln… honestly, how many times does he have to say this? More Nimrods are about to manifest. Hold the tunnel! Sunspot orders the team.
At the Golden Gate Bridge, Colossus, Magma, Namor and Rockslide are fighting several Nimrods. One, fighting Namor, reduces ambient humidity to weaken him. Another, fighting Magma, creates a heat sink. Rockslide calls for backup and Colossus calls Cyclops to tell him wave seven is not contained. They need help! Cyclops promises help and asks them to hold the bridge. At that moment, wave eight materializes, all of them piling on Colossus with two of them breaking his arm.
In the future where these Nimrods come from, an internment camp:
Several guards have brought out a hound. One of them explains that they got a mutant blip from an exonim unit a couple of hours ago. Probably just interference but you know how they are. At least they didn’t give them another gene test, the other jokes.
The Hound groans, then is shot in the forehead courtesy of Domino. X-Force has arrived. Cable orders Archangel to attack and Cypher to stay back.
Doing just that, Cypher observes that violence is a primitive ugly language. Yet he must admit their fluency allows for poetry. A guard in a robot unit has found him. “hello,” Cypher greets. <101010101> He doesn’t have to do this. <10101110001101>. He is only a slave to them. Cypher can set him free, show him to think for himself. Set him free. <01110101010> He can’t talk him out of killing him, the soldier snarls,. Cypher smirks. He wasn’t talking to him. That moment, the vessel ejects the solider and replies to Cypher who thanks it.
Back in the present, Colossus is still set upon by Nimrod units when suddenly Xavier and Legion join the scene in a helicopter. Is he equipped for this? Xavier asks his son. He doesn’t think so, Legion replies nervously, she probably is though.
Legion’s mindscape:
Legion selects personality 115 and frees a punk girl from her cage. She is told she is expected to follow the Nemesis protocol at all times. She agrees sulking.
Reality:
The number 115 appears on Legion’s helmet and he blasts the Nimrod apart with energy. Another Nimrod identifies him/her as an acoustic-aggressive mutation and they react with white noise to cancel those powers out. 115 is replaced by 762, a nervous pirate. Legion vomits green acid at the Nimrods.
“Cyclops, come in,” the weakened Colossus calls and the X-Men Cyclops, Psylocke, Iceman, Storm, Gentle, Surge and Armor come as reinforcements. “Hold the bridge!” Cyclops orders.
In the future, with the help of the Exonim, Cypher befriended X-Force sneak and then fight their way into the Master Mold perimeter 6a. Looking up at the two Master Mold units, Wolverine asks Cable which one they are taking out first. The one on the left is producing Nimrods, Cable points out… the other one looks like it’s out of service.
Another group of Nimrods emerges from the first Master Mold unit, as if on cue. They ignore X-Force and head for the time sphere. Cable tells the team to target the Master Mold on the left and not to worry about the other one. The inactive, right Master Mold’s eyes begin to glow… He’s gotta be honest, Wolverine tells Cable. He’s starting to worry about the other one.
Back in the present on Utopia, Scalphunter, Random and other formerly neutral mutants are heading toward the battle. Toad rushes after them, shouting if they didn’t hear what Cyclops said. The X-Men are leading the Nimrods away from the island. They need to stay here. They are going to fight, Random informs him. Those things want to exterminate their entire race! Yes, Sack adds and tells Toad to have some %$&& respect for himself. The two begin to argue. A moment later Sack is shot by a Nimrod unit. Another group of Nimrods has arrived.
In the Infirmary, the battling can be heard. They are here, one of the injured, Hellion, announces. Beast agrees, informing the patients he will hold the Nimrods for as long as he can. Those who can still walk, help the others evacuate the infirmary. It’s been good to know them… good-bye.
Fatalism doesn’t suit him, a weak Magneto remarks as he frees himself from the sensors. He should leave that to the professionals. McCoy orders him to lie down. He is no use to anyone in his condition. Possibly, Magneto admits. But there are promises one makes to oneself, having lived through a holocaust. He’s afraid these promises preclude him from watching the extermination of his people in a reclining position. Slowly he gets up, weak but willing to fight. “See to you patients, Dr McCoy. I will see to our enemies.”
